Harassment suit
lists city, police chief

Sharon Black's suit also names
Joseph Aveiro and 33 others

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

The e attorney for Sharon Black filed suit today against retired Assistant Police Chief Joseph Aveiro Jr., Chief Michael Nakamura, the city and 33 others in connection with Black's claim of sexual harassment.

In announcing the suit, Rodney Veary, the attorney, said the recommendation by the city's equal employment opportunity officer against Aveiro should have been followed.

Instead, Veary said, Aveiro was allowed to retire with full benefits from the Police Department before any penalties were meted out as a result of Black's allegations that he sexually battered and harassed her.

Veary also contends that the city's policies pertaining to sexual harassment were violated in other instances related to the Black case.

Black, as the department's contractual hired civilian outreach worker, was supervised by Aveiro.

Black claims that she was coerced into having sex with him four times over five years because she feared she would lose her job. She also alleges that he constantly spoke of sex to her and helped create a hostile work environment.

The lawsuit claims that the city failed to follow its own procedures on sexual harassment and failed to discipline Aveiro despite the findings of sexual harassment by then-Equal Employment Opportunity Officer Gerald Hagino and former Personnel Director Cynthia Bond.

Aveiro, in statements made to the Police Department's Internal Affairs Division, claims his relationship with Black was consensual.

Nakamura has denied the allegations that he or others in the police department failed to act properly in dealing with Black's allegations.

Veary filed the suit on behalf of Black in U.S. District and Hawaii Circuit courts.

In May, the Honolulu City Council rejected Black's offer to settle claims for $1.1 million. Black rejected the Council's offer of $500,000.

Among the charges that were filed this morning: battery, assault, quid pro quo sexual harassment, creating a hostile work environment, retaliation on the part of the department, denial of equal employment opportunities, infliction of mental distress and civil rights violations.

Veary blasted the Police Department and the city for failing to follow the recommendations of Bond and Hagino.

According to the filings, both Hagino and Bond found evidence of "sexual harassment hostile work environment" and recommended 60-day suspensions.

Nakamura, on his own, found no sexual harassment but recommended 10 days suspension for conduct not becoming of an officer.