Settlement over Liquor Commission lawsuit is rejected | Honolulu Star-Advertiser staradvertiser.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from staradvertiser.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
A civil rights lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday alleges that three Honolulu Liquor Commission investigators subjected another investigator to discrimination, harassment and a hostile work environment based on his sexual orientation and race after starting his job with the city in 2022.
The owners of a Chinatown nightclub and an LGBTQ+ guide to the islands who accused the Honolulu Liquor Commission and its investigators of anti-gay discrimination are seeking at least $5 million in damages when the case goes to trial after a judge denied parts of the city’s motion to dismiss the case.
The city was in court Friday before Chief Judge Derrick Watson arguing its motion filed May 5 for a summary judgment to move the case beyond a trial and resolve the matter outright.
The enforcement arm of the Honolulu Liquor Commission (HLC) is in disarray: short-staffed, demoralized, dysfunctional and by many standards, ineffective.