Fujiwara v. Clark

477 F. Supp. 809
CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedJuly 20, 1979
DocketCiv. No. 78-0062
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 477 F. Supp. 809 (Fujiwara v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Hawaii primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fujiwara v. Clark, 477 F. Supp. 809 (D. Haw. 1979).

Opinion

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR CONTEMPT

SAMUEL P. KING, Chief Judge.

On February 25, 1977 and June 3, 1977, respectively, plaintiff Vanterpool, an experienced worker in civil rights matters, and plaintiff Fujiwara, the former executive director of the local ACLU affiliate, were hired by the Department of Education [hereinafter “DOE”] as certified non-probationary temporary employees in the Management Audit and Civil Rights [hereinafter “MACR”] Branch. Plaintiffs had responded to job vacancy announcements that had been posted by the DOE. Plaintiff Vanterpool, hired as a Staff Specialist II (equal education opportunities coordinator), reported to defendant Yamashita, Director of the MACR Branch; plaintiff Fujiwara, who was classified as a Staff Specialist I (equal education opportunities specialist), reported to plaintiff Vanterpool.

Plaintiffs were hired to provide temporary technical assistance for the remainder of the fiscal year 1976-1977 in the programming and monitoring of the DOE’s compliance with the several applicable federal [811]*811laws and regulations in the civil rights area, especially Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Such technical assistance was subsidized for one fiscal year by federal funds under a grant contract between the DOE and the United States Office of Education [hereinafter “USOE”].1 Each grant contract was contingent upon the acceptance by the USOE of the DOE’s annual application for funds.

Each application for federal funds was required to set forth the nature and type of assistance sought and the amount of money desired for each fiscal year extending from July 1 to June 30. The DOE applied for grant contracts for the fiscal years 1976-1977 and 1977-1978. Both applications were premised upon similar program objectives:

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES (Benefits are inherent and self-evident)
1. To identify and, where possible, eliminate biased learning materials which restrict women and members of racial and ethnic minorities.
2. To develop compensatory techniques to counteract the detrimental effects of sex-biased materials currently in use.
3. To establish a control structure within which specific recommendations for program development may be evaluated and implemented by persons with a direct responsibility for girls’ athletics.
4. To minimize the effects of minority and/or ethnic isolation, especially with difficulties associated with immigrant students.
5. To provide technical liaison assistance to various non-participating agencies currently operating education programs.2

The DOE received federal funds to employ plaintiffs and other temporary project staff for fiscal year 1976-1977 under Federal Contract # C309-77-0003. Plaintiffs’ temporary positions terminated upon the expiration of such contract on June 30, 1977. They were subsequently rehired for fiscal year 1977-1978 because a federal subsidy was again available under a new grant contract, Federal Contract # C309-770004.

Unbeknownst to defendants, plaintiffs scheduled several press conferences to publicize a Pacific Regional Conference on Civil Rights Compliance in Schools that was to be sponsored by the DOE. Plaintiffs informed the news media that the DOE was not in full compliance with civil rights legislation requiring equal opportunities for students, equal employment opportunities, and nondiscrimination based on race, sex or handicap. Despite defendant Clark’s subsequent warning against holding any news conferences without first advising defendant Yamashita, plaintiffs met the press again without defendants’ authorization on December 26, 1977 to discuss the civil rights conference. During this press conference, plaintiff Vanterpool predicted that the state would lose $30.5 million in U.S. education funds by failing to comply with equal opportunity laws. Defendant Clark reacted strongly to plaintiffs’ publicized opinions and held a news conference to refute plaintiffs’ contentions.

On January 30,1978, defendant Yamashita submitted by letter a Recommendation for Discharge of Mr. Vanterpool and a Recommendation for Discharge of Ms. Fujiwara to defendant Clark, the Superintendent of the DOE, pursuant to Regulation # 5110 of the School Code and Article V, Rights of the Employer of Unit 6 Educational Officers Collective Bargaining Agreement. Each letter set forth “facts leading to my recommendation for discharge” which included, inter alia, that plaintiffs scheduled a news media conference concerning a civil rights conference without advising defendant Yamashita or defendant Clark that they would be discussing matters [812]*812of statewide concern to the DOE; that plaintiffs subsequently called two other news conferences in which they incorrectly maintained that the DOE would lose $30.5 million in federal funds if equal education opportunity laws were not complied with by July 1978 and that the DOE was not in full compliance with Title IX requirements; and that plaintiffs continued to hold news conferences concerning the civil rights compliance program despite several warnings by defendant Clark against making public statements about the DOE without advising defendant Yamashita or defendant Clark.

By letter dated January 31, 1978, defendant Clark notified each plaintiff of his receipt of defendant Yamashita’s recommendations and suspended them from employment without pay, effective January 31, 1978, pending final disposition of the recommendation for discharge.

Effective February 8, 1978, defendant Clark terminated the employment of plaintiffs. Soon after plaintiffs were fired, the DOE promulgated new internal regulations for news releases and press conferences by personnel in the MACR Branch which specifically required that all personnel must procure the approval of defendant Yamashita prior to conferring with the press.

On February 10, 1978, defendant Clark appointed defendant Yamashita to replace plaintiff Vanterpool as project director of the grant (# C309-77-0004) under which plaintiffs had been employed.

On February 22, 1978, defendant Yamashita implemented MACR Branch Procedure No. 11 which pertains to “Civil Rights Complaint Investigative Procedure.” This regulation grants substantial investigative authority to the DOE’s Civil Rights Coordinator, or an assigned staff member, once a complaint has been filed.

Plaintiffs’ terminations and the incidents leading up to the terminations resulted in the complaint filed in this court on February 24, 1978. In their claim for injunctive relief and damages pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, plaintiffs allege that they were discharged for exercising rights of free speech guaranteed to them by the First and Fourteenth Amendments and in violation of substantive and procedural rights of due process guaranteed to them by the Fourteenth Amendment. A temporary restraining order was denied on February 24, but a preliminary injunction was granted on March 8, 1978. As a result, plaintiffs were reinstated in their respective positions but immediately placed on administrative leave.

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Bluebook (online)
477 F. Supp. 809, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fujiwara-v-clark-hid-1979.