Tempe councilman accused of giving girls alcohol, unwanted sexual activity
Jan 22, 2018, 5:36 PM | Updated: Jan 23, 2018, 7:29 am
(Kolby Granville Photo)
(Kolby Granville Photo)
PHOENIX — A Tempe councilman was under investigation for allegedly giving underage girls alcohol and engaging in unwanted sexual activity, the city said Monday.
In a release, the city said it had asked the Phoenix Police Department to look into the allegations against Kolby Granville to remain as unbiased as possible.
Granville was fired from his job as a teacher at Tempe Preparatory Academy near McClintock Drive and Southern Avenue after two former students at the school accused him of giving them alcohol while they were underage. One of the ex-students also alleged Granville made unwanted sexual advances toward her.
He told the Arizona Republic he had a relationship with a former student when she was in college and has denied the allegations.
Both victims had graduated when the alleged incident occurred.
The city said councilmembers forfeit their office if he or she is convicted of a crime that involves “moral turpitude.”
It also said it would not conduct its own investigation into the matter. Instead, it would review police findings to determine if Granville violated the city’s code of conduct.
Randy Keating, another councilmember, said the 43-year-old Granville should step down should the accusations be true.
“The nature of these allegations demand that we must have an immediate investigation to determine the relevant facts,” he wrote on Twitter. “If we find the allegations against Councilman Granville to be true, I would urge him to resign his seat immediately.”
According to his biography on the city website, Granville grew up in Tempe and attended McClintock High School. After graduation, he went to Arizona State University, where he earned three degrees.
He was first elected to the council in 2012.
