Posted on: Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Hilo High officials ordered to deal with discrimination
By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau
HILO, Hawai'i — A federal review of several incidents involving the Hilo High School football team concluded that a "racially hostile environment" existed in the football program last year, and school officials are being required to apologize and undergo anti-discrimination training.
Hawai'i Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto earlier this month signed a settlement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to resolve a complaint made by parent Steven Dearing, whose son is a team member.
The complaint alleged that on Oct. 5, 2003, a junior varsity assistant coach referred to one of the football players as a "black Puerto Rican with a Portagee tongue," and complained that "I hate talking to this (expletive) black Puerto Rican."
The player was not present when the comments allegedly were made, but was told about them by another player several days later, the report said.
When the player confronted the assistant coach about the comments, the coach yelled at both players — the one who heard the remarks and the one who was the target of the comments. He also grabbed the student who overheard the remarks by the face mask and shoulder pads, and demanded to know what he had told the other student, according to the report.
School officials concluded the assistant coach "most likely" grabbed one of the players. The assistant coach was reprimanded and is no longer involved with the Hilo High football program.
Dearing also alleged that on Oct. 31, 2003, a different volunteer assistant coach called him an "(expletive) haole," threatened to "kick his ass," and made a phone call in which he asked someone to "come to the high school and kill some haoles."
The report said witnesses corroborated the allegations, and that the volunteer coach is no longer with the team.
Dearing has had a series of heated disagreements with Hilo High officials, and earlier this year Athletic Director Leroy Simms and Principal Katherine Webster obtained a temporary restraining order barring Dearing from the campus because he allegedly intimidated and harassed football staff and players.
The filing for a restraining order also alleged that Dearing made a threat that prompted school officials to arrange for "unprecedented" levels of security at Hilo High, Kea'au High and the DOE district office.
Dearing told the Advertiser he made no threats. He said school officials dropped the restraining order last week.
Webster and Department of Education officials could not be contacted yesterday to comment.
The Office of Civil Rights faulted school officials for their response to the incidents, and under the settlement, Hamamoto and Webster are required to issue a letter to students on the varsity and junior varsity teams expressing "regret" for the Oct. 31, 2003, incident. The letter must explain that "such conduct is unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the school."
The settlement requires the DOE to review its rules designed to prevent discrimination, and notify school staff and volunteers that the department is committed to ending discrimination. Officials have until the end of March to train administrators, athletic department staff and volunteers about rules and procedures for dealing with allegations of harassment or discrimination.
Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 935-3916.
