LOS ANGELES  -  Police are investigating the dean of students at a South Los Angeles school on suspicion of hiding evidence that one of his colleagues had a sexual relationship with a student.

The dean, identified by Los Angeles Unified School District officials as Alan Hubbard, has been placed on administrative leave in connection with the case against former assistant principal Stephen Rooney, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

Rooney is facing trial on charges of having illegal sexual contact with three teenage girls. Prosecutors alleged he had a long-term sexual relationship with a student at James A. Foshay Learning Center, then molested two students after he transferred to Markham Middle School.

Rooney, who is being held on $1 million bail, has denied the charges.

At his preliminary hearing last week, the Foshay student, now 18, testified she went to ``Mr. Hubbard'' after Rooney was arrested on a gun charge. She said she told the dean she had acknowledged to police her relationship with Rooney, and Hubbard urged her to recant her comments.

She later denied to authorities that she and Rooney had had sex. No charges were filed, and Rooney was transferred to the middle school.

The girl said she came forward after Rooney was arrested in March on suspicion of molesting a 13-year-old Markham student.

She told detectives that Hubbard had photos, notes and a scrapbook that documented the relationship, police Capt. Fabian Lizzaraga said.

When detectives interviewed Hubbard, he told them he was ``keeping them for Rooney'' and said he didn't know what the items were, Lizzaraga said.

The school district has removed two senior administrators from their jobs as part of the internal investigation into how Rooney was transferred despite the sexual misconduct allegation.

(AP)