June 20, 2006
Contributed by Thomas Yoshida
The hearing lasted just over an hour, and the questions from the judges covered a wide range of topics. More than one of the judges had good things to say about Kamehameha and our mission. Our legal team did a wonderful job of preparing for the case, and our attorney, Kathleen Sullivan, did a fabulous job of presenting our arguments before the panel. As she said for reporters after the hearing:
"What we argue is that our admissions policy is entirely legal under U.S. civil rights laws because it helps redress the continuing harms from a legacy of devastation against the Native Hawaiian people that Congress has acknowledged and for which Congress has apologized. The success story of the Kamehameha Schools in lifting up Hawaiian children, educating them and sending them off to seed the society with leaders is exactly what Princess Pauahi intended when she left her charitable testamentary trust, and it's exactly what the Kamehameha Schools do today."
The judges have taken what they heard in today's hearing under advisement, and we expect to hear from them in four to 12 months when they issue their ruling. As we await their decision, Kamehameha Schools will continue to pursue Pauahi's vision. We will continue to work for the betterment of our people and of our community, and we invite all who support Kamehameha to join us in this. Continue the goodness that you bring to your work, your home and your community so that, no matter what the outcome of our case, Pauahi's legacy will live on.
This fight is about the future of our people and the health and well being of our entire state. We're clear about our mission. We're passionate about what we must achieve on behalf of our princess. To all of our 'ohana, mahalo for the aloha you share with us. The mana that flows through each touch, each contact, each word you share with us gives us comfort and strength. Without you it would be a very, very tough journey. With you, we know we will prevail.
Mahalo Ke Akua. I mua Kamehameha!
Dee Jay Mailer
Kamehameha Schools’ policy is to give preference to applicants of Hawaiian ancestry to the extent permitted by law.
