Expelled Kamehameha students prepare to appeal
By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer
The families of four Kamehameha Schools students have banded together to appeal the students' expulsion in the wake of a sexual misconduct investigation at the Kapalama campus.
One, senior David Kaahanui Jr., has gone public with his assertion that he was not involved in the incident of sexual activity alleged to have happened the afternoon of Oct. 23.
Although students have reported that the incident was videotaped, he said, the school never produced any recordings. Officials took disciplinary action quickly to quiet the furor over the allegations and two unrelated sexual cases, he said.
"We feel like we're scapegoats," the 17-year-old said yesterday. "The school feels there are all these lawsuits, so tell the public we're trying to do our job."
The other cases are a federal sexual harassment lawsuit involving two former Kamehameha students and the arrest of another student, 15, in connection with a sexual assault on campus of a 14-year-old female student over an eight-month period.
On Saturday, school president and headmaster Michael Chun announced the expulsion of some students, saying it was based on sexual misconduct while acknowledging officials had not seen and did not possess any videos.
Chun's written announcement did not specify the number of students involved. But Kaahanui's mother, Kim, yesterday said one boy of the eight students under investigation was allowed to remain at school; the remaining five boys and two girls were expelled, she said.
Kamehameha policy allows students 10 days to appeal their expulsion. Attorney Eric Seitz, who is representing the four families, said that he was waiting for a call back from the school with instruction on how to begin the appeal process.
Ray Soon, Kamehameha Schools' vice president for community relations and communications, said he didn't know the precise procedure and could not reach officials familiar with the process yesterday.
"We expected there to be an appeal, and that's their right," Soon said. "It's part of the process."
Kaahanui said he has attended Kamehameha since his freshman year.
Kim Kaahanui said David is a football linebacker as well as a drummer in a band made up of Kamehemeha students, and that at the time of the incident he was rehearsing with band mates in one of the school practice rooms.
The family was officially notified by a phone call Nov. 1 that Kaahanui was among those being investigated, she said, although her son was told while still at school Oct. 31.
Kaahanui said he was told that his "name was brought up" in connection with the allegations but that the school couldn't disclose who named him.
Kim Kaahanui said her son and five other players were suspended from the Nov. 1 game against Saint Louis School. Those six players, as well as two girls, were placed on administrative leave during the investigation, barred from extra curricular activities and from access to the campus, although they received class assignments at home.
Kaahanui said he's trying to stay upbeat.
"Me and my friends, all the boys (who were expelled), we're just going to each other's house and keep each other up," he said.
His mother said two other boys and one of the girls has joined her son's appeal and that at least one of the remaining three students is considering joining as well.
"This has been a nightmare for all the families," she said. "In my heart, I know my son wasn't there and wasn't involved. ... I know he's telling me the truth. If something did happen, I don't know which boys were involved."
Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.
Correction: David Kaahanui Jr. is a drummer in a band made up of Kamehemeha students and was not in an official school band. A previous version of this story was not clear on that point.
