Former NBA star and current Shadow Mountain High School boys’ basketball head coach Mike Bibby is currently under investigation after allegations of sexual assault were made against him by a Shadow Mountain teacher, according to Arizona Republic’s Lily Altavena.
Since then, Paradise Valley Unified School District has released a statement confirming that the situation is actively under investigation by Phoenix’s police department.
“On February 14, 2019, PVSchools was notified that the Phoenix Police Department opened an investigation into alleged sexual abuse/harassment of a Shadow Mountain High School staff member by the boys head basketball coach, Mike Bibby. At the request of the Phoenix Police Department, the District’s internal investigation was suspended
pending the conclusion of the Police Department’s active investigation into the accusations.”
The school did decide to remove Bibby as their head coach amid the allegations, also according to Altavena.
“He is no longer eligible to volunteer as our coach pending the outcome of the investigations,” Becky Kelbaugh, a spokeswoman with the Paradise Valley Unified School District, said in an emailed statement.
The alleged incident took place on February 14, 2017, in the school’s parking lot. As described in the restraining order placed against Bibby by the teacher, Bibby allegedly called the teacher over to his car, grabbed her by the waist and pushed her into the driver’s seat of the car where he got on top of her, rubbed his body on her and said, ‘What I could do to you.’
The teacher said in the restraining order that she was ‘in shock, in fear, intimidated by his actions, afraid of him as he smelled of alcohol.’ The report also noted that two other staff members had witnessed the event.
Bibby has since then declined to comment on the situation and has requested that all questions go to his attorney, Donald Harris. Harris has denied the claims on Bibby’s behalf.
“I can say with pretty much certainty this alleged incident didn’t happen and that will be shown down the road,” he said. “Michael Bibby did not participate in a sexual assault of any way, shape or form that was alleged by this lady two years ago.”
Recently, Bibby found himself being the latest former NBA star finding post-career amateur coaching success after he led Shadow Mountain’s varsity boys’ basketball team to its fourth consecutive state championship. During his six years at the school, the team has won five state titles.
