Posted on: Saturday, December 4, 2004
UH mascot accuses La'ie center of racial bias
Associated Press
The man who plays the University of Hawai'i football team's Polynesian warrior mascot has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against his former employer, the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Viliami Fehoko, who's known as the UH mascot Vili the Warrior, claims he was fired from his job at the popular Windward O'ahu tourist attraction because of his Tongan ancestry by Polynesian Cultural Center managers of Samoan ancestry.
Fekoho was informed on Aug. 2, 2002, by John Muaina, human resources director for the cultural center, that he was being terminated because he had beat up, assaulted and threatened another man at the center several days earlier, according to the lawsuit filed Nov. 19 in Circuit Court.
Fehoko claims in the lawsuit that the man approached him and co-workers in the La'ie center's Tongan Village and grabbed the 'ukulele Fehoko was playing. Fehoko told the man not to hassle him and the other Tongan employees and to leave the grounds, according to the lawsuit.
Fehoko said he requested a grievance hearing, which was conducted by a committee made up of Polynesian Cultural Center employees predominantly of Samoan ancestry, the complaint says.
The grievance committee upheld the decision to terminate him despite the fact that center management presented no witness to support the allegations against him, the lawsuit says.
Muaina declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying it would be premature because he had not had the opportunity to review it. Fehoko, who is acting as his own attorney, could not be reached for comment.
In his lawsuit, Fehoko said he was not allowed to have a representative or his wife at the hearing, but said Samoan employees were allowed to have representatives present when they appeared before the grievance committee.
Fehoko also contends in the lawsuit that a Samoan employee who was allegedly arrested by Honolulu police for assault and battery was not terminated or disciplined immediately. He says the same Samoan employee also was not disciplined for drinking kava on the Polynesian Cultural Center premises, while Fehoko was disciplined for the same kind of infraction.
Fehoko said he was promised employment for at least 10 years by the president of the Polynesian Cultural Center, and for that reason he did not accept other employment offers.
Fehoko is seeking general and special damages as well as back pay and pay for the 10 years employment he claims he was promised.
The 6-foot, 290-pound Fehoko appears at UH football games and men's volleyball matches in warrior attire with his face painted black and green, cheering for the UH teams and snarling at opponents.
Last year, he came under fire for overly boisterous antics, including taunting opposing players, harassing their mascot and throwing a ti leaf bracelet at a cheerleader. While there were some suggestions that he be retired, he had the support of fans and football coach June Jones, who hired him in 2000.
