By P.C. Staff
MONTEREY PARK, CALIF. — Joe Kikuchi, 56, of Monterey Park, Calif., was arrested Sept. 24 on multiple felony counts of sexual assault, including lewd and lascivious acts against a minor. Kikuchi, who resigned his position as the girls’ basketball coach at Mark Keppel High School on Sept. 15, is accused of having an ongoing sexual relationship with one of his players, a 16-year-old junior.
Police began investigating Kikuchi on Sept. 15 following a report made by an Alhambra Unified School District administrator, who heard rumors of an “intimate” relationship between the coach and a female student. That administrator then alerted the Alhambra Police Department.
Mark Keppel Principal Jacinth Cisneros and Assistant Principal Khevin DeVaughn were also placed on indefinite administrative leave as the district begins its own investigation.
Kikuchi, a widely popular coach who transformed the school’s basketball program into a powerful CIF state contender, is set to appear in court Oct. 23 for his arraignment.
