Kamehameha teacher held in alleged sex assault on student

A Kamehameha Schools high school teacher has been placed on indefinite administrative leave after being accused of sexually assaulting a student, according to police records and the school.

The 23-year-old teacher was arrested at 9:38 p.m. Friday at the main police station for investigation of nine counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault, according to police arrest logs. He remained in police custody Saturday afternoon, pending an investigation.

Police said a juvenile girl reported being sexually assaulted by the suspect.

The man is a faculty member in the performing arts department at the Kapalama campus, according to the school’s website.

Taran Chun, head of Kamehameha Schools Kapalama, said in a letter sent to parents Saturday that the school recently learned about an alleged “inappropriate relationship” between a faculty member and a student at the school.

He said the school immediately placed the teacher on administrative leave and was cooperating with a Honolulu Police Department investigation.

He said only limited information could be shared to protect the student’s privacy and avoid interfering with the police investigation.

“Kamehameha Schools does not tolerate inappropriate or abusive behavior of any kind,” Chun said in the letter. “We are committed to the physical, mental and emotional safety and well-being of our students.”

Kevin Cockett, Kamehameha Schools spokesman, said keeping students safe is the school’s top priority.

“These incidents are not OK,” he said by phone Saturday. “It is our responsibility to encourage students to come forward and embrace an environment of vigorous and active reporting and transparency.”

The letter to parents came two days after the school confirmed it agreed to pay $80 million to 32 men who were sexually abused decades ago by a psychiatric consultant who worked for the school. The payment is part of a lawsuit brought by the victims against Kamehameha Schools.

An attorney for the victims said she has heard from other victims who weren’t ready to come forward. Two others were still negotiating with the school.

The deal is believed to be the largest personal injury settlement in Hawaii history.

It stems from years of abuse by Robert Browne, a psychiatrist who treated hundreds of troubled Kamehameha students from the 1950s to the 1980s. He killed himself in 1991 after being confronted by a former student.

As part of the deal, the school agreed to retain an independently run hotline for reporting problems.

Chun said Kamehameha has been working to stop sexual abuse at the school by improving procedures, increasing training and giving students a stronger voice.

He said he anticipates learning about more incidents of abuse because of the heightened awareness.

“We want all victims to feel safe to speak up, so that we can support them and learn how to better keep current and future students safe,” he said.