Pantastico v. Department of Education, State of Hawaii

CourtDistrict Court, D. Hawaii
DecidedJuly 24, 2019
Docket1:18-cv-00065
StatusUnknown

This text of Pantastico v. Department of Education, State of Hawaii (Pantastico v. Department of Education, State of Hawaii) 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
Pantastico v. Department of Education, State of Hawaii, (D. Haw. 2019).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF HAWAII

CHARDONNAY PANTASTICO, CIVIL NO. 18-00065 JAO-WRP Plaintiff, ORDER GRANTING STATE DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR vs. SUMMARY JUDGMENT, GRANTING IN PART AND DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, State DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT of Hawai‘i; et al., NAGAMINE’S MOTION FOR Defendants. JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS, AND GRANTING DEFENDANT HERMOSURA’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS

ORDER GRANTING STATE DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT, GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANT NAGAMINE’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS, AND GRANTING DEFENDANT HERMOSURA’S MOTION FOR JUDGMENT ON THE PLEADINGS This case concerns the alleged sexual harassment of Plaintiff by her softball coach at James P. Campbell High School (“Campbell”) and the school’s alleged failure to prevent it. Plaintiff also asserts that Campbell’s female athletic facilities were not equal to the male athletic facilities in violation of Title IX. Plaintiff brings her claims against two defendants in their individual capacities, Kevin Nagamine and Michael Hermosura, (the “Individual Defendants”); the State of Hawai‘i Department of Education; and certain individuals in their official

capacities (collectively the “State Defendants”).1 Before the Court are Nagamine’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, Hermosura’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, and the State Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment. ECF Nos.

39, 43, 44. For the reasons set forth below, the Court GRANTS the State Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment, GRANTS IN PART AND DENIES IN PART Defendant Nagamine’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, and GRANTS

Defendant Hermosura’s Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings. I. BACKGROUND A. Facts

The following facts are undisputed. Plaintiff entered Campbell in 2012 and graduated in 2016. ECF No. 1 ¶¶ 38, 39. She was a standout softball player at Campbell, playing for both the junior varsity and varsity teams her freshman year and the varsity team until she graduated. Id. ¶¶ 41, 42, 45; ECF No. 52-2 ¶ 17.

1 The “State Defendants” refer specifically to the State of Hawai‘i Department of Education; Kathryn Matayoshi, in her official capacity as Superintendent of the Department of Education; Naomi Takamori, in her official capacity as the former Principal of Campbell; Jon Henry Lee, in his official capacity as the Principal of Campbell; Duane Izumi, in his official capacity as the former Athletic Director of Campbell; and Samuel Delos Reyes, in his official capacity as the Athletic Director of Campbell. ECF No. 1. Defendant Kevin Nagamine was the head coach of the junior varsity team and was an assistant coach of the varsity team. ECF No. 1 ¶ 45. Defendant Hermosura was

the head varsity softball coach. ECF No. 52-3 ¶¶ 12, 14. The Complaint alleges that during her time at Campbell, Nagamine gave Plaintiff special attention by buying her gifts and snacks, giving her rides to

practice, and befriending her. ECF No. 1 ¶¶ 47–57. Nagamine engaged in conversations with her about her menstrual cycles and birth control methods and his own deteriorating marital sex life. Id. ¶¶ 54, 56. Then, when Plaintiff turned eighteen years old but was still a student at Campbell, the two engaged in a sexual

relationship. ECF No. 1 ¶ 59. Defendant Nagamine graduated from high school roughly twenty years before Plaintiff. See ECF No. 58 at 4. B. Plaintiff’s Declarations

In opposition to the State Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment, Plaintiff submitted her own declaration and a declaration of one of her teammates at Campbell, Kyra Hoohuli. In her declaration, Plaintiff alleges that Nagamine often showed her and other teammates photos of naked women on his phone,

complained about his relationship with his wife, and asked Plaintiff about who she was dating and suggested she date certain people. ECF No. 52-2 ¶¶ 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31. Hoohuli’s declaration states that Nagamine showed the softball

players pictures of porn stars and asked them which one they would rather have sex with; all of the softball coaches constantly made sexual jokes and openly discussed which former softball players they would most like to have sex with; and

coach Hermosura told the players they were getting fat and that they needed to lose weight or they wouldn’t “get any guys.” ECF No. 52-3 ¶¶ 25–30. According to Plaintiff’s declaration, Nagamine’s harassment of Plaintiff

increased significantly during her senior year, when Nagamine began to openly tell Plaintiff that he could “treat her better” than the person she was dating and that he would “show her how it was supposed to be done.” Id. ¶ 32. For Plaintiff’s eighteenth birthday in February of 2016, Nagamine allegedly gave her a gift bag of

sports bras, athletic wear, snacks, and balloons. Id. ¶ 35. Shortly after that, the softball team traveled to Maui for a tournament. Id. ¶ 36. One night during the trip, Plaintiff and other female players were in the coaches’ hotel room when

Nagamine allegedly offered her a sip of alcohol and told her that if she was not comfortable sleeping there, she could sleep in his room with his daughter. Id. ¶¶ 38–39. When she said she was fine, he insisted and said that he would carry her to his room if he had to. Id. Plaintiff’s declaration does not indicate what else, if

anything, happened that night. After the trip, Nagamine began sending Plaintiff approximately ten to fifteen text messages a day, explicitly stating he wanted to be with her. Id. ¶ 41. He sent Plaintiff messages such as “I want to be with you,” and

“you’re all I think about.” Id. Soon after the trip, Nagamine picked up Plaintiff for practice but instead drove her to a nearby shopping center. He then told her that he planned to leave

his wife for her. Id. ¶ 42. Plaintiff told him that was not a good idea, but she also felt uncomfortable disagreeing with him and did not want to do anything to upset him because he was her coach. Plaintiff still had to play her senior year under him,

which she believed was critical to her college softball recruitment. Id. ¶¶ 43–44. Nagamine made Plaintiff promise not to tell anyone about their potential relationship, and then forced Plaintiff to kiss him before taking her to practice. Id. ¶ 46.

After that, Nagamine and Plaintiff engaged in a sexual relationship that Plaintiff felt pressured into continuing. Id. ¶¶ 43, 44, 67. While Plaintiff was still a senior in high school, Nagamine and Plaintiff had sex in the back of his truck

before practices, and sometimes during school hours. Id. ¶¶ 50–52. After graduating from Campbell, Plaintiff began playing softball at the University of Hawai‘i. ECF No. 52-2 ¶¶ 58, 71. Plaintiff and Nagamine continued their sexual relationship during Plaintiff’s freshman year in college. ECF No. 52-2 ¶¶ 58–60.

Then, when Nagamine’s wife discovered the relationship in the fall of 2016, she informed Plaintiff’s parents that Plaintiff and Nagamine were having sex. When Plaintiff’s father found out, he brutally assaulted her. Id. ¶¶ 64–67. After the

assault Plaintiff began suffering from depression and attempted suicide. Id. ¶¶ 68– 70. She no longer enjoys softball as much as she used to and remains emotionally distraught. Id. ¶¶ 71–74.

Before this lawsuit, Plaintiff had not informed the school about the inappropriate comments Nagamine made or the nude photos he showed the players. Nor did Plaintiff inform the school about Nagamine’s pursuit of Plaintiff or their sexual relationship.2 Plaintiff did, however, inform one of the assistant

coaches about her sexual relationship with Nagamine: toward the end of her senior year, Plaintiff and Nagamine were having sex at his house when his wife came home, and Plaintiff ran from the house. Id. ¶¶ 52–54. She called assistant coach

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