Joseph “Coach Joe” Kikuchi, the former girls’ basketball coach at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California, is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old player. (Alhambra Police Department/Facebook)
The former girls’ basketball coach at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California, has been accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old player on his team.
Joseph Alan Kikuchi, known as “Coach Joe,” to his players, was arrested on Thursday and charged with multiple felonies, including lewd and lascivious acts with a minor. The 56-year-old posted $100,000 bond and will appear in court in October, the Pasadena Star News reports.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Rumors About the Alleged Sexual Assault Surfaced After His Resignation in Mid-September
“Coach Joe” Kikuchi resigned from his coaching position on September 15. (Facebook)
Joseph “Joe” Kikuchi resigned from his position as the Mark Keppel High School girls’ basketball coach on September 15, citing health reasons, the Pasadena Star News reported. The newspaper also reported that day that police were investigating sexual assault allegations against Kikuch.
Police said Thursday that on the morning of September 15, “an administrator with the Alhambra Unified School District was made aware of a rumor regarding an intimate relationship that was allegedly occurring between a female high school student and her adult basketball coach. The Alhambra Police Department was notified and an investigation began.”
“Over the course of the next several days, Alhambra Police Department detectives learned that a walk-on coach for the girls’ basketball team at Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra had begun an inappropriate relationship with one of his players. The investigation showed that on numerous occasions over the last year there was unlawful sexual contact between the coach and the female player.”
Kikuchi, of Pasadena, was arrested Thursday at his full-time job as a branch manager at Chiquita Bananas.
2. He Has Been Named Coach of the Year During 2 of His 3 Seasons With the Team
Kikuchi took all three teams he coached to the state playoffs. (Facebook)
Kikuchi became the head coach of the girls’ basketball team in 2012. He was a “walk-on” or non-certified employee. Before becoming head coach, he was a longtime assistant and JV coach at the school.
He took his team to the state playoffs in all three seasons and won three consecutive league championships, the Pasadena Star News reports. His record was 79-18.
The Star News named him the newspaper’s coach of the year after two of his three seasons.
3. He Denied the Allegations Through a Statement From His Lawyer
(Facebook)
Kikuchi denied the allegations through a statement from his lawyer. According to the Los Angeles Times, Paul Geller, a Pasadena public defender, said in the statement that he asked police to be “mindful” of Kikuchi’s health:
Law enforcement chose to ignore those requests and to publicly embarrass Mr. Kikuchi, jeopardize his health, and sensationalize these allegations by surprising him at his employment yesterday to arrest him in front of his coworkers and colleagues, and from publicly misleading statements. We are deeply concerned about the way in which both the students, Mr. Kikuchi, and the public are being forced to deal with this at the direction of law enforcement.
4. The School’s Principal & Vice-Principal Have Been Put on Leave
Kikuchi was previously an assistant coach until he was named head coach in 2012. (Facebook)
Kikuchi’s lawyer told the Los Angeles Times that the school’s principal and vice principal have been put on leave as part of the investigation, “which is something unusual that we want to investigate while this process takes place.”
The Pasadena Star News reported that Principal Jacinth Cisneros and Assistant Principal Khevin DeVaughn were put on indefinite administrative leave last week, but the school district wouldn’t comment on whether it is related to the sexual assault charges. The district told the newspaper an administrative investigation related to the charges has been launched.
n addition to the investigation of Kikuchi, Mark Keppel High School Principal Jacinth Cisneros and Assistant Principal Khevin DeVaughn were placed on administrative leave last week.
5. Police Encouraged Students With Information to Come Forward
Kikuchi works at Chiquita Banana when he is not coaching. (Facebook)
Police said on Facebook, “The Alhambra Police Department encourages anyone with information about this case or any other incidents involving this suspect relating to sexual misconduct with children to call (626) 570-5156 or e-mail our detective bureau at: detective1@alhambrapd.org.”
