Ex-NBA player Bibby faces allegations of sexual misconduct

Mike Bibby yells at an official in this 2011 photo. | AP photo

PHOENIX — Police are investigating sexual abuse and harassment accusations made by a teacher against former University of Arizona and NBA player Mike Bibby, according to officials in the suburban Phoenix school district where he had been a high school coach.

Paradise Valley Unified School District officials said Tuesday (Wednesday, Philippine Time) that Bibby was terminated from his coaching position at Shadow Mountain High School after they received a copy of a restraining order a teacher brought against him.

“Upon receipt of the Injunction Against Harassment, PVSchools notified Mr. Bibby that his volunteer status had changed from eligible to ineligible, pending the outcomes of the Phoenix PD and internal investigations,” district spokeswoman Becky Kelbaugh said in an emailed statement.

She declined to comment on whether Bibby had been a volunteer coach during his entire six-year stint.

The district first became aware of the allegations on Feb. 11 but stopped an internal investigation at the request of Phoenix police three days later, according to Kelbaugh. Officials plan to resume their probe once the police investigation is completed.

Meanwhile, Bibby was coaching as recently as Saturday when the boys’ basketball team won its fourth consecutive state championship.

A Phoenix municipal court granted the restraining order to a Shadow Mountain teacher last Friday, The Arizona Republic reported . The teacher said Bibby groped her and rubbed against her after pulling her into his car on school grounds in February 2017, according to the document.

The teacher reported the allegations to the school’s resource officer on Feb. 13, according to the document. The district said in a statement that it would not release additional information about the teacher, citing privacy protection.

Bibby referred questions to his attorney, Donald Harris.

“I can say with pretty much certainty this alleged incident didn’t happen and that will be shown down the road,” Harris 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.”

The Phoenix Police Department has confirmed it is investigating allegations involving staff at Shadow Mountain. Sgt. Vince Lewis, a police spokesman, did not name the people involved or describe the allegations.

Bibby played on Shadow Mountain’s first state championship basketball team as a student in 1996. He went on to the University of Arizona, where he helped lead the Wildcats to their only national championship in 1997.

He was drafted by the Vancouver Grizzlies the next year. Bibby played in the NBA from 1998 to 2012, including stints with Vancouver, Sacramento and Atlanta.