The ex-wife of former baseball slugger Kazuhiro Kiyohara is considering withdrawing their two sons from a prestigious school in Tokyo and sending them to school in New York to avoid fallout from the publicity over Kiyohara's arrest last month for stimulant drug possession.

Kiyohara, 48, and his wife, model Aki, 46, divorced in September 2014. Their two sons are currently enrolled in a private elementary school with a long-standing history of academic excellence.

When allegations over Kiyohara’s suspected drug use surfaced two years ago, the school administration took it upon themselves to carry out their own personal background check on the former professional baseball player, Shukan Josei magazine reported. When they learned that Kiyohara was using drugs, a parent of a student at the school claims that the school immediately notified Aki and gave her two options -- either divorce her husband or withdraw their sons from the elite educational institution, the magazine reported.

A close friend of Aki is quoted as saying: “While the divorce caused a public uproar, the allegations this time around have definitely put Aki in a deep depression. The biggest detriment is the effect caused by changing the current educational environment of her sons. Despite the difficulty of entering into such a prestigious school, she probably figured it was not worth the stress of having her boys continue their education there.”

Another close friend of Aki adds, “Without a doubt, it's the surname 'Kiyohara' that stands out, and it is this factor that is pushing Aki to consider relocating her family overseas. Coincidentally, the school that her sons are enrolled in has a study abroad program in New York that is open to students from their 3rd year in junior high school. With her eldest son advancing to his 3rd year in junior high school next year and the youngest son also graduating from elementary school, Aki made this decision with near-perfect timing.”

However, while it’s easy to talk about the prospect of studying abroad, in Aki Kiyohara’s case, it's not going to be cheap for her and her two sons. A study abroad advisor explains: “The yearly tuition of the New York school in which Aki wishes to enroll her eldest son costs a whopping 5.5 million yen. It won’t be surprising if the tuition for her youngest son is also in the same price range. If you add the cost of education with the cost of living, the yearly expense will add up to about 15 million yen. You also have to factor in that the cost of living in New York is more expensive than Tokyo.”

Meanwhile, magazine Josei Seven, on the same topic, estimates that Aki’s monthly earnings from her modeling career is 500,000 yen, plus a single appearance fee of 1 million yen per engagement. If the model-mom decides to move the family overseas, her work opportunities as a model will certainly be limited.

Furthermore, a celebrity news reporter adds, “While her former baseball star husband earned 5 billion yen during his career, it is rumored that he spent most of his money on drugs and there is almost no cash left." The magazine says that Kiyohara had also listed both sons’ names under his apartment mortgage in exchange for child support payments. Last September, the same apartment was sold with Aki receiving a settlement of 83 million yen. The Josei Seven reporter speculated that Aki does not wish to move abroad solely for her sons' education, but also to ensure that her ex-husband cannot come into contact with the boys. The U.S. has strict immigration laws admitting people into the country who possess a criminal record of substance abuse.

© Japan Today