Rex Johnson, the embattled former chief executive of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, will receive nearly $300,000, including unused vacation pay, as part of an agreement announced yesterday with the state agency.

The tourism agency, which faces significant challenges ahead in guiding Hawaii's bread-and-butter industry through its most turbulent time, agreed to a resignation payment of $208,181 based on Johnson's initial annual salary of $240,000 through August 2009.

Johnson's vacation pay, also based on his $115 hourly rate, amounted to $83,304, bringing the total resignation package to $291,486.

“;The board considered the alternative of potential litigation, associated legal fees and costs as well as the continued distraction to the state, industry and HTA,”; said Kelvin Bloom, HTA chairman. “;On the balance, the board believed this was a reasonable compromise.”;

Johnson resigned Oct. 8 after a state auditor flagged his e-mail for pornography sent to friends via his state laptop, which earlier led the HTA to reprimand him by docking his salary by $40,000 to $200,000 and reducing his four-year contract to one year.

Racist and sexist messages sent during the same period surfaced a few months later, reigniting the issue and dividing the community.

Johnson couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

“;This is enraging; it is clearly a payoff for bad behavior,”; said Kathryn Xian, non-executive director of Girl Fest Hawaii & Girl Fest Bay Area, which aims to prevent violence against women. “;It's rewarding a man for his misconduct and unethical behavior. This action that the HTA has taken basically works backwards of what we all worked for in getting him out of office and trying to repair Hawaii. It's only going to damage us even further.”;

Alphonso Braggs, president of Hawaii Chapter of the National Association for the Advance-ment of Colored People, said HTA's board had no other choice but to pay him for the remainder of his contract.

“;Once they took into account what it would cost to fight this out in court, it probably was better for them to settle the situation how they settled it so it was over and done with,”; he said. “;They've got to focus now on restoring the image of aloha here in Hawaii - that's the bigger picture.”;

Lloyd Unebasami, 59, HTA's former chief administrative officer under Johnson, has been appointed interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement.

“;HTA is moving forward,”; Bloom said. “;The board never lost its focus on the primary issues at hand. The fact is that we're experiencing a significant downturn in tourism, as far as this matter is concerned, it's in the past and we're focused on the present and future.”;