Shibuya v. County of Kauai

523 P.3d 1077, 152 Haw. 163
CourtHawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals
DecidedJanuary 31, 2023
DocketCAAP-17-0000880
StatusPublished

This text of 523 P.3d 1077 (Shibuya v. County of Kauai) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Shibuya v. County of Kauai, 523 P.3d 1077, 152 Haw. 163 (hawapp 2023).

Opinion

NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Electronically Filed Intermediate Court of Appeals CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX 31-JAN-2023 11:13 AM Dkt. 84 MO

NO. CAAP-XX-XXXXXXX

IN THE INTERMEDIATE COURT OF APPEALS

OF THE STATE OF HAWAI#I

ERIC Y. SHIBUYA, Plaintiff-Appellant v. COUNTY OF KAUAI; KAUAI POLICE DEPARTMENT; DARRYL D. PERRY; MARK N. BEGLEY, Defendants-Appellees, and JOHN DOES 1-10; JANE DOES 1-10; DOE PARTNERSHIPS 1-10; and DOE ENTITIES 1-10, Defendants

APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE FIFTH CIRCUIT (CIVIL NO. 13-1-0345)

MEMORANDUM OPINION (By: Ginoza, Chief Judge, Wadsworth and Nakasone, JJ.)

Plaintiff-Appellant Eric Y. Shibuya (Shibuya), a retired Commander of the Kauai Police Department (KPD), appeals from the Final Judgment entered on December 20, 2017, by the Circuit Court of the Fifth Circuit (Circuit Court).1 As part of the appeal, Shibuya challenges the following orders by the Circuit Court in favor of Defendants-Appellees County of Kauai (County), KPD, Darryl D. Perry (Chief Perry), and Mark N. Begley (Deputy Chief Begley), (collectively, Appellees): (1) the "Order Granting Defendant Mark N. Begley's, in his Individual Capacity, Motion to Dismiss Verified Complaint" entered on June 10, 2014;

1 The Honorable Randal G.B. Valenciano presided. NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

(2) the "Order Granting Defendant Darryl D. Perry's, in his Individual Capacity, Motion to Dismiss Verified Complaint" entered on June 10, 2014; and (3) the "Order Granting Defendants County of Kauai and Kauai Police Department's Motion for Summary Judgment" (Order Granting MSJ) entered on November 14, 2017. Shibuya contends that the Circuit Court erred in: (1) dismissing his claims against Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley in their individual capacities; (2) determining the exceptions to the exclusivity provision of the Hawai#i Workers' Compensation Law do not apply to Shibuya's claims against the County and KPD and the claims are therefore barred by Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) § 386-5; and (3) determining Shibuya was required to initially pursue his claims as a hybrid action before the Hawai#i Labor Relations Board (HLRB). For the reasons set forth below, we affirm. I. Background A. Claims Asserted On November 29, 2013, Shibuya filed a Verified Complaint (Complaint) against the County, KPD, Chief Perry, in his official and individual capacities, and Deputy Chief Begley, in his official and individual capacities, alleging: (1) negligence, (2) civil conspiracy, (3) constructive discharge, (4) defamation, (5) intentional infliction of emotional distress, (6) negligent infliction of emotional distress, (7) abuse of process, (8) malicious prosecution, (9) invasion of privacy, and (10) negligent supervision. B. Allegations in the Complaint Shibuya's Complaint alleges, among other things, that during his appointment as the Commander of the Vice Unit in KPD, the Vice Unit conducted a raid on a chicken fight in Keapana on or about March 15, 2009 (2009 Keapana Raid). During the course of the investigation related to this raid, Shibuya assisted in the identification of two suspects, whom Shibuya had played golf with in the past.

2 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

Shibuya alleged that after Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley learned of the 2009 Keapana Raid and Shibuya's involvement in the investigation, Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley, began making false statements about [Shibuya] to other police officers at KPD that: A. Suspect 1 and Suspect 2 were members of organized crime . . . on Kauai; B. [Shibuya] had divulged the name of a cooperating witness in the investigation of the Keapana Chicken Fight Raid to Suspect 1 and Suspect 2; and C. [Shibuya] had inappropriate ties to members of [organized crime].

Shibuya also alleged that based on their false statements, Chief Perry and deputy Chief Begley initiated disciplinary transfer proceedings and Shibuya was involuntarily transferred to the Kauai Patrol Services Bureau. Shibuya further alleged that Appellees initiated an "Administrative Investigation" in retaliation against him for filing a grievance against KPD through the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers (SHOPO). On or about March 1, 2010, while Shibuya's SHOPO grievance and the Administrative Investigation against him were still pending, Shibuya was reassigned from the KPD Patrol Services Bureau back to his position as Commander of the Vice Unit. On April 21, 2011, SHOPO closed Shibuya's grievance against KPD because Shibuya's reassignment back to his original position "negated the grievance." On December 30, 2011, the internal Administrative Review Board found the charges against Shibuya in the Administrative Investigation meritless and dismissed the charges against him. However, Shibuya alleged that because of Appellees' conduct, and "the intolerable working conditions which continued to exist, Plaintiff retired involuntarily from KPD on February 29, 2012, and did so substantially earlier than he otherwise would have, but for said conduct." II. Standards of Review A. Motion to Dismiss A trial court's ruling on a motion to dismiss is reviewed de novo. The court must accept plaintiff's allegations as true and view them in the light most favorable to the plaintiff; dismissal is proper only if it appears beyond doubt that the

3 NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST'S HAWAI#I REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER

plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his or her claim that would entitle him or her to relief. Nakamoto v. Kawauchi, 142 Hawai#i 259, 268, 418 P.3d 600, 609 (2018) (citation omitted). "However, in weighing the allegations of the complaint as against a motion to dismiss, the court is not required to accept conclusory allegations on the legal effect of the events alleged." Kealoha v. Machado, 131 Hawai#i 62, 74, 315 P.3d 213, 225 (2013) (citations omitted). B. Summary Judgment "On appeal, the grant or denial of summary judgment is reviewed de novo." Ralston v. Yim, 129 Hawai#i 46, 55, 292 P.3d 1276, 1285 (2013) (citation omitted). Summary judgment is appropriate if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. A fact is material if proof of that fact would have the effect of establishing or refuting one of the essential elements of a cause of action or defense asserted by the parties. The evidence must be viewed in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. In other words, we must view all of the evidence and inferences drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.

Id. at 55-56, 292 P.3d at 1285-86 (brackets and citation omitted). III. Discussion A. Claims Against Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley in Their Individual Capacity

Shibuya argues that the Circuit Court erred in dismissing the claims against Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley in their individual capacities because the Complaint sufficiently alleged that they were motivated by malice, and not by an otherwise proper purpose. In granting their respective motions to dismiss the claims against Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley in their individual capacities, the Circuit Court concluded that the allegations in the Complaint pertain to matters within Chief Perry and Deputy Chief Begley's scope of employment with the County and KPD.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
523 P.3d 1077, 152 Haw. 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shibuya-v-county-of-kauai-hawapp-2023.