Posted on: Thursday, May 30, 2002

Politicking not for players, coach told

By Scott Ishikawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

PEARL CITY — Last week's incident involving members of the Pearl City High football team helping with sign-waving at a political fund-raiser has revived the touchy subject of kids and campaigning.

It's a reminder to those in the political arena that campaigns cannot be affiliated with a school or school-related organization, according to a statewide policy on ethics.

But at the same time, state ethics and education officials say children are allowed, and should be encouraged as individuals, to participate in the electoral process.

Pearl City varsity football coach Onosai Tanuvasa took about 40 players of the school football team to a Mazie Hirono fund-raiser Friday evening in Honolulu. Half of the team later participated in sign-waving.

"There is nothing wrong with kids sign-waving, but it cannot be connected with a school or school organization or club," said state Department of Education spokesman Greg Knudsen.

"If the players had a sign saying a team endorses a certain candidate, or if they were pressured into doing it, that's wrong," Knudsen said. "But in this case, it didn't appear the team was intentionally supporting the candidate.

"It did give an inappropriate appearance, and the principal made the right call to stop it. This one seems more of a lack of common sense, rather than a violation of DOE policy."

Pearl City High principal Gerald Suyama said: "It won't happen again. We teach in a public school system that is supposed to be apolitical."

Roadside sign-waving by candidates and their supporters is common way of campaigning here — a high-profile and economical way of getting a candidate's name out. And the practice has always included children.

Suyama said yesterday that Tanuvasa had about 100 extra fund-raiser tickets and wanted to take the players to the event to eat some food. After eating, about half of the group helped sign-wave on the roadside.

Several parents of the players complained Tuesday, feeling that some of the boys were pressured into sign-waving.

Suyama said Tanuvasa, who is in the first year as varsity coach at Pearl City High and was hired two months ago, will not be reprimanded.

"No reprimand — just a warning — and we talked to help clear the air," Suyama said. "I didn't realize how politically active the coach was."

Tanuvasa could not be reached for comment.

Suyama said he asked some of the football players whether they were forced to sign-wave, as a couple of complaining parents had claimed. The players said they felt obligated because they were given free food at the event.

Hirono's campaign spokesman, Bob Toyofuku, said the campaign did not know that the Pearl City football team was coming to the rally.

"The kids didn't arrive in football jerseys, just regular street clothes," Toyofuku said. "When I later learned about the whole thing, I told Onosai (Tanuvasa) it was inappropriate to bring school groups to these kind of events."

Dan Mollway, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, said Hawai'i law stipulates that a state government employee cannot use his or her position, state time or resources, to support a candidate.

"To have a teacher or coach teaching about politics in general is one thing," Mollway said. "Taking kids on an excursion and getting involved in a candidate's campaign is another."

Mollway explained: "Sign-waving and campaigning is a personal decision, for child or adult. When it gets problematic is when students are under the authority of a state employee, a teacher or coach, who may affect the student's decision-making."

Mollway said Suyama's follow-up action was "right on the money and seems to have addressed the situation."