State offers $90,000 to former boating official
WAILUKU » The state has authorized the payment of $90,000 to a former boating administrator who alleged sexual and racial discrimination as well as retaliation for being a "whistle-blower."
Carol She' alleged she endured slanderous name-calling, intimidation, sex and race discrimination and filed a workers' compensation claim in 2005 for post-traumatic stress disorder due to repeated exposure to an unsafe and unhealthy workplace.
The lawsuit named former state Board of Land and Natural Resources Chairman Peter Young and 13 other people, including Department of Land and Natural Resources employees and administrators.
Young and 13 other defendants were either unavailable for comment or declined comment.
She' and her attorney, Peter Hsieh, declined comment.
She' sought a job as a state boating regulation officer and was told she was not qualified because she needed one year of specialized knowledge of boating operation and safety, according to the lawsuit filed in December 2005.
She' did obtain a position as an emergency hire boating regulation officer in 1997 and after a year, she applied for a full-time position.
She' was told she did not qualify because she did not have an education degree, although the general requirements for the full-time position called for a bachelor's degree and she had a master's degree in urban and regional planning and a master's certificate in ocean policy, the suit said.
The lawsuit charged that none of those who previously held the position of state boating regulation officer, who were all men, had degrees in education.
She' said that after a series of discussions with state administrators in 1998 and 1999, she was hired full time as a boating regulation planner.
She' was assigned as acting district manager of the Maui boating division in 2002 and implemented procedures for more accountability, in light of state auditor's reports criticizing the loss of revenues due to officials allowing permits to lapse as long as a year, the suit said.
She' said the officials continued to resist implementing her procedures and she filed a 30-page formal complaint through Young.
She' said she had a lack of support from her staff, after she filed an inquiry about the acceptance of fish from permittees, lunches for certain staff members on cruise ships, payments of palm fronds, and free moorings for friends of staff.
She' said she was removed from her position and reassigned to Oahu in 2004 on the pretext that she was on temporary assignment to work on special projects.