Following a civil jury trial presided over by Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto, the county and Douglass Adams — former director of the Department of Research and Development — have been found legally not liable of all allegations in a lawsuit regarding the county’s hiring processes.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the county and Adams, finding that the plaintiff, David Freedman, failed to prove any claims of discrimination or misconduct by a preponderance of the evidence, according to a county press release.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023, centered on allegations of discrimination during the recruitment for a film commissioner position, which resulted in the 2022 hiring of Aulani Freitas as commissioner.

Freedman asserted several claims, including: employment discrimination in hiring based on age, sex (male) and sexual orientation; aiding and abetting a discriminatory practice; negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress; and negligent supervision.

“This verdict is a definitive win for the integrity of our hiring practices and for the reputation of Director Douglass Adams,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said in the press release. “Douglass has served our community with the utmost professionalism. It is deeply gratifying to see the jury confirm that the county’s selection process was based on legitimate, non-discriminatory criteria and that these serious accusations were entirely unfounded.”

During the trial, the defense demonstrated that the personnel decisions followed established county procedures and state law.

“The County of Hawaii will not be intimidated by meritless litigation,” Alameda added. “This outcome should serve as a clear warning that we will vigorously defend our employees and the taxpayers’ interests against groundless claims. We remain committed to fair and transparent hiring, but we will always stand up for the truth and the dedicated public servants who lead our departments.”