SAN JOSE, Calif. – The assistant principal of San Francisco’s Galileo High School and a Milpitas, Calif., woman have been arrested on pimping and prostitution charges by San Jose, Calif., Police.

Gerald Courtney, 57, the assistant principal, and Hsiu Hwa Chou, 41, were arrested for allegedly running brothels at 1550 Technology Drive and 80 Descanso Drive in San Jose. The arrests came after search warrants were served at the homes of the suspects in Milpitas and San Francisco.

“The San Jose vice unit served several search warrants, one in Milpitas and one in San Francisco, regarding an ongoing investigation of the past four months,” said San Jose Police Sgt. Michael Sullivan, spokesman for the department.

Neither Courtney nor Chou could be reached for comment on Friday.

Gentle Blythe, spokeswoman for the San Francisco Unified School District, said Courtney has been placed on administrative leave, “pending further investigation and resolution of the charges.” He had worked at the district since 1988.

“We’re very said to hear about his arrest,” Blythe said.

No minors, students or other school officials from San Francisco Unified were involved in the prostitution ring, police said.

Sullivan said Courtney had used his name to obtain apartment leases “where prostitution was being run.” He also created Internet postings for the prostitutes, Sullivan said.

Milpitas police helped with the search of Chou’s house in that city, he said.

Two women also were arrested on prostitution charges.

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Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the San Jose Police Department’s Vice Unit at (408) 277-4322.

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AP-NY-08-08-08 2112EDT