A Honolulu mother has filed suit against the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii, alleging the after-school program she relied on for childcare instead left her then-10-year-old son to endure months of sexual abuse and bullying. The family says the boy now needs intensive therapy and that repeated reports to staff were brushed aside.
According to Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, the lawsuit, filed in the First Circuit as Doe Parent et al. v. Boys & Girls Club of Hawai’i, No. 1CCV-25-0001752, says the abuse began in November 2023 and continued into March 2024. The complaint alleges a fellow student repeatedly touched the boy’s genitals, pressed a stick against his rear, and targeted him with racial slurs, theft, and other harassment, the firm says.
In a statement to Hawaii News Now, the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii said it "We take any allegation that might impact their well-being very seriously." and will "offer our full cooperation" to the legal process while remaining confident it can defend the claim. The organization did not say what, if any, staffing or supervision changes were made at the Spalding Clubhouse named in the suit.
What the lawsuit says
According to Honolulu Civil Beat, a boy and his younger sister reported inappropriate conduct to program staff, but say they were dismissed. Their mother also raised concerns with staff and the school principal before reporting the March 1, 2024, incident to police.
Mandatory reporting and potential liability
The suit accuses the club of ignoring Hawaii’s mandated-reporting requirements for suspected child abuse. Those rules require adults in schools and organized youth programs to notify law enforcement or the Department of Human Services immediately and to file written reports, according to the state Department of Human Services. If the complaint’s allegations are proven in court, the filing says the nonprofit could face civil damages and be ordered to change its supervision and reporting policies.
Past incidents raise questions
Attorneys and local reporting note the nonprofit has previously faced sexual-misconduct cases involving staff and volunteers, which advocates say will shape how closely the public watches this case unfold. Civil Beat outlines earlier convictions that critics argue highlight the need for stronger safeguards.
Attorney Victoria Chang of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman is urging other potential victims or witnesses to contact her office, according to the firm’s announcement. The Boys & Girls Club has said it will cooperate with authorities as the legal process moves forward and that it remains deeply concerned about the matter, statements show.
