Latest news with #Fevella
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senator seeks tourism ousters amid racism, sexism complaints
State Sen. Kurt Fevella called on Gov. Josh Green to seek the resignations of two top state officials from the two main state agencies overseeing tourism on Monday due to allegations of a hostile work environment, which he said included alleged racist and sexist comments against Native Hawaiians. Fevella (R, Ewa Beach ), said, 'There is a toxic and hostile work environment at HTA. Because of the efforts to sweep this matter under the rug, I am calling for the resignations of James Toki oka, director of the (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism ), and Issac Choy, HTA's acting chief administrative officer.' The news conference followed a sign-waving in front of the state Capitol, which was attended by about a dozen people, and was a follow-up to a request that Fevella made Thursday to state Attorney General Anne E. Lopez to investigate complaints that Choy allegedly had referred to an HTA contractor, the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, as 'dumb Hawaiians ' and also was alleged to have 'demeaned and belittled ' female HTA board members. Fevella also alleged that a hostile workplace contributed to the recent resignations of several HTA employees who were Native Hawaiian, including Daniel Naho 'op 'i, former interim HTA president, who resigned from HTA on March 21. Other recent resignations by Native Hawaiian staff have included Maka Casson-Fisher, HTA brand manager ; 'Iwalani Kaho 'ohanohano, HTA senior brand manger ; Ilihia Gionson, HTA public affairs officer ; and most recently Kalani Ka 'ana 'ana, HTA chief stewardship officer and interim public affairs officer, whose resignation was effective Friday. Choy responded to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser in an email Monday saying, 'I deny Senator Fevella's false allegations. The Attorney General will investigate these matters, and I have been advised to reserve specific responses for the investigation.' Choy, a former state tax director and lawmaker who was elected to five terms in the House of Representatives serving the Manoa district from 2008 through 2018, joined HTA in 2023. For more than a year, he said, he has worked with staff, the Department of the Attorney General, other public bodies and the Legislature to report and resolve violations or suspected violations of law, rule or regulations and contracts executed by HTA. 'To protect against retaliation, the Attorney General's office has acknowledged my staff and me as whistleblowers, ' he said. 'It is unfortunate that the recent allegations appear to be in retaliation for the work done by me and the staff of the HTA Finance-Procurement Section.' When queried about the attorney general's involvement or Choy's designation as a 'whistleblower, ' Toni Schwartz, spokesperson for the Department of the Attorney General, said in an email Monday, 'The Department of the Attorney General will not make statements on the existence or status of possible pending investigations.' Makana McClellan, Green's director of communications, said in an email, 'The Governor has directed Attorney General Lopez and DHRD Director Hashimoto to thoroughly investigate these allegations, determine the facts and identify any appropriate next steps.' HTA board Chair Todd Apo said the board also is waiting for the attorney general's guidance. State Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D, Hana-East and Upcountry Maui-Molokai-Lanai-Kahoolawe ), chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Economic Development and Tourism, told the Star-Advertiser in a phone interview Monday, 'HTA is in the paper every week. We've had many challenges with them. I'm not going to second-guess what people are saying. I want accuracy and I want facts.' DeCoite added, 'I've known Issac Choy for years and worked with him on countless numbers of bills as a female, and I've never felt him to be sexist, and as a Hawaiian I've never felt him to be racist towards me or when around other Hawaiians.' House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan (D, Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu ) said, 'The AG's Office is going to look into the situation, and I think it's really premature to call for anyone's resignation based off of allegations, which may or may not be true.' Choy said, 'I believe that the results of the AG investigation will confirm that the work done by me and the HTA Finance and Procurement staff has been and will continue to be in the best interests of HTA and the state and not racially discriminatory in any way.' However, Tyler Gomes, administrator of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement's Kilohana, filed a complaint Nov. 25 alleging that Choy called Gomes and the rest of the CNHA team 'dumb Hawaiians ' during an August 2023 meeting, and afterward embarked on a pattern of behavior that was 'race-based in its inequity.' Tokioka said Friday in an email that CNHA officials were not present at the August 2023 meeting but that he was there and that he had heard Choy use derogatory language during a conversation about CNHA with other HTA staff members. He said that he placed a written warning in Choy's personnel file in October 2024 after learning that Naho 'opi 'i, who was also present when the remark was made, had not taken further action. He said Choy apologized to staff, and the matter was considered resolved. But Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, community leader and CNHA ambassador, who was at Fevella's action Monday, said, 'For too many years, Kanaka of Hawaii have allowed elephants in the room to multiply exponentially in both overt and covert ways—negatively impacting our existence in our homeland.' During the news conference, Fevella alleged that Choy also had made unresolved racist and sexist remarks to two Native Hawaiian female board members and had threatened staff. He said DBEDT's human resources was aware of complaints, but alleged that Tokioka protected Choy because they were friends. Tokioka told the Star-Advertiser in an email Monday, 'After allegations were made, the DBEDT human resources officer met with former interim HTA President &CEO Daniel Naho 'opi 'i on a number of occasions regarding the complaints. Mr. Naho 'opi 'i stated in numerous meetings with Deputy Attorney General John Cole present that he would address the allegations but did not follow up with VP of Finance Isaac Choy or anyone else.' Naho 'opi 'i told the Star-Advertiser on Saturday that a key reason he left HTA was that he was prevented from effectively addressing numerous complaints involving Choy, including two formal complaints from HTA board members, two complaints from HTA contractors, one formal complaint from an HTA employee and multiple other informal employee complaints. Naho 'opi 'i said he felt threatened because Tokioka had tried to discipline him, unsuccessfully, after Naho 'opi 'i represented the HTA board's position on a bill in 2024 that was not aligned with DBEDT's position.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Call for 2 state leaders to resign after racism allegations
HONOLULU (KHON2) — A state senator is calling for two top state leaders to resign after allegations of derogatory comments, demeaning comments to staff and an alleged cover up. Ewa Beach Senator Kurt Fevella said he was recently notified of complaints against Isaac Choy, a former state representative who's acting chief administrative officer and VP of finance of Hawaii tourism authority. Ala Moana acid attack survivor: ʻI want to say be braveʻ The allegations say Choy created a hostile work environment by making derogatory comments about Hawaiians and belittling female board members. 'Very disturbing,' said Sen. Kurt Fevella, (R) Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe, Iroquois Point. 'But most disturbing is that complaints were made to HR. Two female board members had made complaints to the AG on their complaints about how he treat females in the workplace. Very chauvanist of him.' Fevella sent a letter on May 1 to the Attorney General's office, asking for an investigation. Now he wants Choy gone. 'I'm asking the HTA board, Todd Apo, and the rest of the board members to come to a conclusion to let Isaac go,' said Fevella. Lawmakers take aim on e-bikes following 'egregious civil disobedience,' in Ewa Beach In a statement, HTA's interim president and CEO Caroline Anderson said 'we are committed to be an organization informed by Native Hawaiian values and always strive to provide a workplace where our staff and partners feel safe, valued, and respected.' She continued saying 'we take this situation seriously and will resolve it responsibly.' Fevella's also demanding DBEDT Director James Tokioka to be dismissed as well, because he said Tokioka knew about Choy, but did nothing. In a statement, Tokioka said he spoke to then-HTA president and CEO Daniel Nahoopii about the issue in August 2023, when the incident said a month later, he checked back to see if Choy had been reprimanded. Nahoopii said no so Tokioka took it upon himself to formally write up a warning against Choy, which Nahoopii was notified of, and which Nahoopii took no further action on. A spokesperson for the Governor said Green has directed the AG's office to investigate and identify any appropriate next steps. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority under scrutiny amid allegations of hostile work environment
A state senator and some Hawai 'i Tourism Authority board members and former staff say the two main state agencies overseeing tourism failed to respond promptly to complaints about a hostile work environment—including alleged racist and sexist comments—that they said contributed to the recent resignations of five Native Hawaiian members of HTA's leadership team. Sen. Kurt Fevella (R, Ewa Beach ) told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Friday that he has asked state Attorney General Anne E. Lopez to investigate complaints about a hostile work environment at HTA that allegedly included 'a chauvinistic attitude toward women and racist slurs toward Native Hawaiian workers ' and 'threats made to previous (HTA ) leadership.' In a written request sent to Lopez Thursday, Fevella said he was recently informed that female HTA board members had submitted complaints to her office regarding Isaac Choy, HTA's vice president of finance and acting chief administrative officer. Fevella told Lopez in his letter, 'If Mr. Choy's behavior, including his tone, demeaning manner, and communication style, has made female board members feel belittled and has created a hostile work environment, a thorough investigation must be conducted and cannot be swept under the rug. 'I am even more disturbed and outraged by reports that Mr. Choy made derogatory and dismissive comments, such as 'dumb Hawaiians' in the workplace. If true, these remarks are unacceptable and unlawful, ' wrote Fevella, who is Native Hawaiian. Choy said in an email to the Star-Advertiser on Friday, 'I vehemently deny all these allegations. All board and committee meetings are recorded and available on the HTA website.' Choy, a former state tax director and lawmaker, who was elected to five terms in the House of Representatives serving the Manoa district from 2008 through 2018, also told the Star-Advertiser on Thursday, 'I am not a racist, ' when asked in person for an interview. Toni Schwartz, spokesperson for the Department of the Attorney General, said in an email Friday that the department 'will not make statements on the existence or status of specific investigations or about possible pending cases.' However, the Star-Advertiser has obtained a series of documents that illuminate what Fevella is asking Lopez to investigate in relation to HTA, which is administratively attached to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.—Former interim HTA president and CEO Daniel Naho 'opi 'i, who is Native Hawaiian, sent a resignation letter on March 19 to the HTA board alleging that the work environment was 'at times, outright hostile.'—A Nov. 25 incident report to Naho 'opi 'i from Tyler Gomes, administrator for the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement's Kilohana, alleged that Choy called Gomes and the rest of the CNHA team 'dumb Hawaiians, ' during an August 2023 meeting, and afterward embarked on a pattern of behavior that was 'race-based in its inequity.'—HTA board member Stephanie Iona told the Star-Advertiser Friday that members of the HTA CEO Search Committee adjusted their vetting procedure so that the resumes of all applicants applying for the position went to the entire committee after the contractor running the executive search alleged that an HTA staff facilitator had expressed a concern about Polynesians. Choy and DBEDT director James Kuane Tokioka both declined a Star-Advertiser request for an in-person interview and asked for questions in writing. The newspaper emailed them questions Thursday and Friday asking about the allegations. Other than his 'vehement ' denial, Choy declined to respond to specific allegations. Tokioka told the Star-Advertiser in an email Friday that CNHA officials were not present at the August 2023 meeting, but that he was there and heard Choy use derogatory language during the conversation about CNHA with other HTA staff members. 'Immediately following the incident, I told Mr. Choy that his comments were unacceptable and that he should not use language like that in the future, ' Tokioka said. Tokioka said he informed Choy during an Oct. 11, 2024, meeting that he was placing a written warning in his personnel file and would inform Naho 'opi 'i of the written warning. 'After this was received by Mr. Choy, he sent an apology on October 14, 2024, to the staff reinforcing that this type of incident would not happen again, ' Tokioka said. 'At that point, this incident was considered resolved.' Tokioka said in an email to the Star-Advertiser's query about other alleged incidents outside of the CNHA complaint, 'You know these meeting are all recorded and if any of these comments were made at a board meeting it shouldn't be too hard to find. I was never in a meeting that comments as you listed were made.' But according to those who reported the other incidents, the alleged remarks were not made during public meetings. In his emailed response to the newspaper, Tokioka said, 'Some of the questions you asked, I am not able to answer or, I have no knowledge of the question or not enough information to answer the allegation. 'I also want you to know that as an employee of the State I've attended numerous harassment classes and when complaints are referred to my office from the 6 divisions and 12 attached agencies of DBEDT I take them very seriously.' On Thursday, the Star-Advertiser contacted CNHA's Gomes, who said that he waited to file a complaint against Choy because he initially thought the 'dumb Hawaiians ' comment was a one-off. He said that he reconsidered and reported the incident to Naho 'opi 'i after CNHA experienced a series of difficulties relating to its destination stewardship contract. The contract, which began in the summer of 2023, is worth $27.1 million for the initial 2-1 /2 year term with an option for two one-year extensions. Gomes said in the incident report, 'As a former state executive, I'm well aware of the state's required trainings through (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ). This comment made by Isaac is in clear violation of the state's policies on hate speech.' In the report, Gomes alleged that Choy imposed compliance requirements for CNHA's contract that differed from what was expected of other vendors. Gomes also told the Star-Advertiser that Choy purportedly delayed the release of checks over a 400-day period to CNHA, despite the contract manager approving invoices. In the report, Gomes said, 'Based on what I believe is his underlying anti-Hawaiian sentiment, it is clear that this patterned behavior is race-based in its inequity.' Tokioka said Friday in an email, 'In August 2023, due to concerns with how CNHA /Kilohana Collective's deliverables were being provided to the HTA at the beginning of the contract, I asked Mr. Choy or someone from his team to review HTA's reporting guidelines with CNHA /Kilohana Collective to ensure that the deliverables provided were in alignment with contract requirements.' Tokioka said it was brought to his attention in February that payments to CNHA /Kilohana Collective were past due for more than $3.5 million. Tokioka added, 'Upon review, the HTA program manager assigned to manage CNHA's contract had not processed the payments, resulting in the outstanding balance. I replaced the HTA program manager and assigned Mr. Choy to step in.' Gomes said Thursday that HTA's payments to CNHA are now current and that since Tokioka intervened, CNHA's 'functioning relationship with Mr. Choy has been positive.' Changing currents Documents obtained by the Star-Advertiser indicate a shift away from the growing Native Hawaiian focus that emerged at HTA under John De Fries, the agency'sfirst Native Hawaiian president and CEO. Naho 'opi 'i, who DeFries hired as his HTA chief administrative officer, became the second Native Hawaiian to serve in HTA's top role. After DeFries resigned, Naho 'opi 'i was promoted to HTA interim president and CEO but resigned from the role on March 21 after 18 months. Other recent resignations by Native Hawaiian staff have included Maka Casson-Fisher, HTA brand manager ; 'Iwalani Kaho 'ohanohano, HTA senior brand manger ; Ilihia Gionson, HTA public affairs officer ; and most recently Kalani Ka 'ana 'ana, HTA chief stewardship officer and interim public affairs officer, whose resignation was effective Friday. Iona said, 'The question we should be asking as a board is, 'How could five top managers leave in less than seven months ? Do those five managers have a common denominator ?' Yes, they are all Native Hawaiians.' Iona, who is Native Hawaiian, said she is among the HTA board members who made complaints and called for an investigation. She said she first went to Naho 'opi 'i, then to DBEDT's human resources, and then to the AG's office. 'Until today, no response. What happens in the meantime ? Maka leaves, Iwa leaves, Ilihia leaves, Daniel leaves and writes a letter and now Kalani.' Naho 'opi 'i detailed a toxic work environment and a lack of support for the Native Hawaiian community in his resignation letter to the HTA board, which was obtained by the Star-Advertiser. In the letter, Naho 'opi 'i expressed disappointment that 'some legislators and leaders are not supportive of the strategic shift to a regenerative tourism model including efforts to ensure the commitment to the Native Hawaiian community (as stated in the Aloha 'Aina Economic Futures signed on by the board ).' Tokioka said Naho 'opi 'i did not bring concerns about HTA shifting away from the regenerative tourism model to his attention before his departure. DBEDT vs. HTA In his letter, Naho 'opi 'i' said some board members were advocating for board bylaws or legislation that 'decreased the control and responsibility of the HTA CEO in supervision of its staff while increasing the powers of the board or DBEDT.' Naho 'opi 'i told the Star-Advertiser on Saturday that a key reason he left HTA was that he was prevented from effectively addressing numerous complaints involving Choy, including : two formal complaints from HTA board members, two complaints from HTA contractors, one formal complaint from an HTA employee and multiple other informal employee complaints. 'I was facing a lot of resistance from (DBEDT ) HR saying that I should just resolve it from meeting with him, ' Naho 'opi 'i said. 'I talked to Isaac directly, but nothing got resolved. 'When I tried to do the board complaints, (the deputy attorney general ) said, 'No, the board has to take care of their own board complaints, ' he said. Naho 'opi 'i said he felt threatened because Tokioka had tried to discipline him, unsuccessfully, after Naho 'opi 'i represented the HTA board's position on a bill in 2024 that was not aligned with DBEDT's position. 'Every time I tried to do something to discipline staff or even just talk about issues related to HTA, Jimmy would step in if things that I was doing did not align with Isaac or his desires, ' he said. 'There's a long state process for disciplinary action.' Fevella questioned why the HTA board, which included Tokioka, promoted Choy to acting chief administrative officer on April 16 while unresolved complaints remained. Fevella said he plans to hold a news conference and sign-waving on Monday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the state Capitol calling to end racism and chauvinism at the HTA. Caroline Anderson, who became interim HTA president and CEO upon Naho 'opi 'i's departure, said in an email to the Star-Advertiser, 'We aspire to be an organization informed by Native Hawaiian values and always strive to provide a workplace where our staff and partners feel safe, valued, and respected. A practiced culture of aloha, malama, 'olu 'olu are necessary for our success. As this is a personnel matter, we cannot provide further details.' Newly elected HTA board Chair Todd Apo told the Star-Advertiser, 'The matter is in the Attorney General's hands and we have to wait for direction from them. We need to make decisions based on that.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Lawmakers take aim on e-bikes following ‘egregious civil disobedience,' in Ewa Beach
EWA BEACH, Hawaii (KHON2) — Several lawmakers said they were disturbed with the behaviors seen during Saturday night's bike brawl in Ewa Beach. One lawmaker wants to ensure Honolulu police go after the person in charge of the bike event. HPD searching for man who allegedly tried to murder wife Honolulu Police said on March 24 that officers have spoken to The Bike Factory's Kapolei and Honolulu stores following a night of chaos in Ewa Beach Saturday, where one teen was arrested and another man was taken to the hospital in serious condition. 'I'm not happy with what happened in my beautiful community,' said Sen. Kurt Fevella. 'I will tell you right now, I'm not going to just sit down and let this happen and then not have a reaction.' Fevella said he received numerous calls following the chaotic bike rideout event and said he was outraged when he had heard the Bike Factory owner blamed police for what unfolded.'I think that he needs to be accountable for what had happened, but he wants to blame HPD, and they were serving and protecting my community,' Fevella added. KHON2 spoke with the owner of Bike Factory on March 23 who told us he hosts monthly rideout events across the island and it's meant to be beneficial for the community and they cannot control who attends the event. The owner was out of the country this weekend. 'So, I'm writing a letter to Steve Alm, our prosecuting attorney, to the Chief of Police, the major from the district eight, to find out what is the legal ramifications for an organized business that organized something where people got hurt, property damage, all of these things, and see what kind of legal action that we as legislators, lawmakers, at city council, can come together so that this will never happen again, because this is not a joke,' Fevella added. HPD enforces e-bike regulations, Kailua riders cited The state Transportation Committee chairs said they were disappointed when they saw the videos over the weekend. 'I was disappointed because these are young children that will one day become adults and this is the way that they are addressing law enforcement? Nobody should ever be talked to or threatened like that in that shape, former or manner, and so I want to thank our first responders for upholding all the pieces of laws that were being violated,' said Rep. Darius Kila, House Transportation Committee Chair. He said they will be pushing for clearer e-bikes laws, including HB 958, which prohibits 16-year-olds and younger from riding Class 3 e-bikes which can essentially go as fast as motorcycles. It would also put the burden of responsibility on the purchaser and seller of e-bikes to know the rules of the roadway, and will lay the foundation for future e-bike laws. 7yo girl dies after e-bike crash in Ewa Beach 'I know very full well that these 13-year-olds are not able to get a vehicle or this bike that's that expensive without help from a parent,' Kila added. 'My plea is, our parents have to know where their kids are at. Do they not have any shame for the way that they interacted with our law enforcement? I get it, we can always disagree, but that was like the most egregious form of civil disobedience that I've seen in a long time.' He called HB 958 'overarching omnibus regulation to stop what happened this weekend from ever happening again, and if it does happen, they will face their consequences set forth by law enforcement.' 'Of course, not all e-bike riders are bad riders, just like anybody who drives a car or just walks are all bad people. It's how we do it,' said Sen. Chris Lee, Senate Transportation Committee chair. 'When people do things like this and blatantly try to break the law and cause problems, you know, it makes everybody look bad, and it does reinforce the very point that there ought to be some really basic safety regulations that keep people safe on streets,' Lee added. He says another measure would require Class 3 e-bikes to be treated like riding a motorcycle requiring a license, insurance and abide by the basic rules of the road. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How a tip credit, or lack thereof, could impact all of us
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Should the state eliminate the tip credit? A new bill, SB214, is pushing to phase out the credit for employers, which would then require them to pay tipped employees minimum wage. One law maker said it's only fair, but others believe it could put restaurants out of nail technicians, waiters and bartenders are all jobs heavily reliant on tips. Businesses with tipped employees currently get a tip credit, allowing them to reduce the minimum wage they pay those employees. Funding freeze fallout: Hawaii nonprofits and state agencies face uncertainty 'In order for them to do that, the employee has to be making at least $7 an hour in tips, in net tips over the minimum wage,' Hawaii Restaurant Association Board Director Tom Jones explained. But Sen. Kurt Fevella is pushing legislation to gradually phase out the tip credit, which would then require businesses to pay tipped workers minimum wage. 'At the end of the day, we need a good living wage,' Fevella said. 'And right now, working under minimum wage as a waitress or waiter or any kind of tip penalties that people have is is not even close to a living wage.' Those in the restaurant industry said tipped employees often rack in hundreds of dollars a day in tips. 'Servers in most restaurants would earn two, three and even four times the minimum wage in tip income,' Jones explained. And he said the tip credit allows restaurants to pay other positions more. 'So we can direct those funds to dishwashers and cooks and people in the back of the house that are not directly tipped employees.' If the bill passes, many said it would hurt their bottom line. 'At some point there's a breaking point and I'm worried that this bill is really going to hit a lot of restaurants,' Ruby Tuesday owner Rick Nakashima explained. 'There's a big reason Outback closed all five restaurants last year, and we closed two in the past year and a half.' Nakashima said they're still getting over the pandemic, and he's not alone. 'We have labor shortages. We've got higher utility costs. We have higher insurance costs,' Jones added. 'More than any other industry, restaurants have been struggling for the last five years recovering from COVID, and it's a real challenge.' 'These guys want their profit margin to be so big so they constantly stand on the little man,' Fevella said. 'So I have no sympathy during COVID, because everybody wants to blame COVID. But what about the families that is struggling to make ends meet?' Nakashima said this could also have a trickle down affect. 'I think a lot of restaurants will try to pass it on to the customer,' he explained. SB214 passed its first reading. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
