City Council approves $612,000 settlement in harassment case

Advertiser Staff

The Honolulu City Council yesterday approved a $612,00 settlement with police outreach worker Sharon Black to close Black's long-standing sexual harassment lawsuits against Honolulu Police Department officials.

Councilmember Duke Bainum was the only Council member to object to the settlement. After the meeting, Bainum said he was concerned that the settlement will prompt "a flood of sexual harassment cases."

Bainum said he thought the city was prepared to move forward with a trial.

"I felt that we had a strong case, but it was not a perfect case," he said.

Black, a civilian worker, charged that she was sexually harassed by former Assistant Police Chief Joseph Aveiro Jr., and other high-ranking police officials failed to discipline him.

City officials have said that the city has spent at least $500,000 in public money to hire private attorneys to defend police officials in this case.

So far, Black has declined to comment on the resolution of her case.

In 1997, the council rejected a $1.25 million settlement offer from Black, who then turned down the Council's $500,000 counteroffer. The case was scheduled to go to trial next month.