A lawsuit filed today against Kamehameha Schools is once again challenging its admissions policy that favors Native Hawaiian children.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of four children and their families "seeks an end to the 'Native Hawaiians only' admissions policy," of the schools, a statement by lawyers for the children said.

Attorneys Eric Grant of California and David B. Rosen of Honolulu said the federal District Court lawsuit filed today "is essentially identical to the earlier lawsuit filed on behalf of 'John Doe,'" which the schools settled last year.

In the statement, Grant, one of the attorneys who earlier represented John Doe, said: "The purpose of today's action is to obtain a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court that the trustees' racially exclusionary admissions policy violates our nation's civil rights laws.

"Our clients believe, and we agree with them, that such a ruling will have a significant impact in reversing unfortunate trends towards discrimination and even segregation in Hawai'i."

Meanwhile, in a separate action, Kamehameha Schools today sued John Doe, the non-Hawaiian student who challenged the school's Hawaiians-first admission policy.

In a complaint filed in state Circuit Court in Hilo, the $9.1 billion trust alleged that agents for the anonymous student disclosed the details of a confidential settlement to the local media.

"Confidentiality was a material term of the settlement agreement reached between John and Jane Doe and Kamehameha Schools in May 2007," said Colleen Wong, the Schools' vice president for legal affairs. "The confidentiality provision included the attorneys for both parties, and each party agreed to be held liable for breaches of confidentiality committed by their legal counsel," Wong said.

The Advertiser reported in February that the trust paid $7 million to settle the federal court lawsuit seeking to overturn its century-old admissions policy.

Today's lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.