Hawaiʻi County, former department director fully exonerated in jury trial

The County of Hawai‘i and Douglass Adams, former Director of the Department of Research and Development, were vindicated of all allegations in a lawsuit regarding the county’s hiring processes following a multi-day jury trial in the Third Circuit Court.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the County and Adams, finding that the plaintiff failed to prove any claims of discrimination or misconduct by a preponderance of the evidence, according to a county release Friday.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023, centered on allegations of discrimination during the recruitment for a Film Commissioner position. The plaintiff, identified as David Freedman in court documents, asserted several claims, including:

• Employment discrimination in hiring based on age, sex (male), and sexual orientation under HRS § 378-2(a)(1).
• Aiding and abetting a discriminatory practice under HRS § 378-2(a)(3).
• Negligent and Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress.
• Negligent Supervision.

“This verdict is a definitive win for the integrity of our hiring practices and for the reputation of Director Douglass Adams,” said Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda. “Douglass has served our community with the utmost professionalism. It is deeply gratifying to see the jury confirm that the County’s selection process was based on legitimate, non-discriminatory criteria and that these serious accusations were entirely unfounded.”

During the trial, the defense demonstrated that the personnel decisions followed established County procedures and state law.

“The County of Hawaiʻi will not be intimidated by meritless litigation,” Alameda said. “This outcome should serve as a clear warning that we will vigorously defend our employees and the taxpayers’ interests against groundless claims. We remain committed to fair and transparent hiring, but we will always stand up for the truth and the dedicated public servants who lead our departments.”