A Hilo jury last Friday cleared Hawaiʻi County and Douglass Adams, the former director of the county’s Department of Research & Development, of all claims in a lawsuit over the hiring of the island’s film commissioner. The verdict closes a case that challenged the 2022 appointment and a complaint filed the following year.
After a multi-day trial, jurors found in favor of the county and Adams, concluding that plaintiff David Freedman did not prove his allegations by a preponderance of the evidence, according to a county release reported by Big Island Now. Mayor Kimo Alameda called the outcome “a definitive win for the integrity of our hiring practices,” according to the release.
What the lawsuit alleged
The complaint, filed in 2023, accused county officials of discriminating against Freedman in the Film Commissioner recruitment. It alleged age, sex and sexual-orientation discrimination, along with claims of aiding and abetting, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent supervision. Those claims centered on the 2022 recruitment that ended with Aulani Freitas being named film commissioner, as reported by Hawaii News Now.
County response and defense
Defense attorneys told jurors that personnel decisions in the recruitment followed established county procedures and complied with state law, and the jury accepted that version of events. In a statement, the county also stressed that it would continue to defend employees and taxpayers from what it described as meritless litigation, according to reporting by Big Island Now.
The hire at the center of the fight
Aulani Freitas was appointed Hawaiʻi Island Film Commissioner in June 2022 and brought nearly two decades of film and television experience to the role, according to the county announcement at the time. Local coverage of Freitas’ hiring noted her industry background and reported that the county hoped the commission would help grow sustainable production jobs on the island, per Big Island Video News.
Why it matters locally
Film commissioners serve as the county’s front door for productions, helping shape who gets permits and local work, which explains why the recruitment drew close local attention. The trial was handled in Third Circuit Court and presided over by Hilo Circuit Judge Henry Nakamoto, and local coverage reports that the verdict clears the way for the county to continue industry outreach, as outlined by Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
Next steps
It was not immediately clear whether Freedman plans to appeal the verdict. County leaders described the outcome as a vindication of their hiring practices and reiterated their pledge to defend public employees and taxpayer interests, according to reporting by Hawaii News Now. For now, officials say the county will move forward with film-industry outreach without the overhang of this litigation.
