A woman identified in court filings as Jane Doe has sued the City and County of Honolulu, alleging that Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Blake Takahashi raped her at work and that officials protected him instead of holding him accountable. The lawsuit accuses Takahashi of locking a coworker in his office at fire department headquarters, restraining her and raping her. Takahashi was never charged with a crime.
According to Honolulu Civil Beat, Doe worked as a facilities project coordinator for the fire department, while Takahashi, a 25-year department veteran, ranked just below assistant chief as a battalion chief and was named Honolulu’s manager of the year in 2024. The lawsuit alleges that Honolulu officials protected Takahashi after she accused him of raping her, and that fire officials knew about his inappropriate relationships with women in the department and ignored them. It further alleges the city created a workplace culture that emboldened him to commit acts of impropriety, including sexual violence.
What The Lawsuit Says Happened On Valentine’s Day
The complaint states that on the evening of Valentine’s Day 2025, Takahashi asked Doe to come to his office to discuss work matters and encouraged her to drink alcohol. Four days later, on February 18, 2025, Takahashi turned himself in to the Honolulu Police Department, which released him later that same day pending investigation. The fire department placed him on paid leave pending investigation that February, the news organization reported.
The complaint also alleges Takahashi threatened to rape Doe again whenever and wherever he wanted. Doe reported the alleged rape to police and, on February 21, 2025, filed an application for a temporary restraining order with the Honolulu First Circuit Court. A judge granted that restraining order. She says she suffered physical injury and severe psychological trauma, and her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for medical expenses, lost earnings and emotional distress.
Allegations Of A Prosecutorial Cover-Up
The lawsuit alleges that the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against Takahashi in order to protect a fellow county employee and shield the city from liability. It further alleges the prosecutor’s office never referred the case to the Hawaii Attorney General’s Office. Takahashi is a fellow City and County of Honolulu employee alongside Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, the lawsuit notes, though the Honolulu Police Department did not immediately respond to questions about its investigation or whether the case was referred to Alm’s office.
Doe’s attorney, Nicole Kalakau, said the facts of the case should have been presented to a grand jury or turned over to the Attorney General’s Office for an independent investigation. Kalakau said filing the civil action is Doe’s only remaining recourse to seek justice through the courts, and that she wants to hold Honolulu officials accountable and help change what she described as a culture problem within the fire department. Kalakau also said Doe has faced hateful online comments that blame her or cast doubt on her credibility.
Takahashi’s Attorney Pushes Back
Takahashi’s attorney, Thomas Otake, called the suggestion that prosecutors declined charges to protect Takahashi baseless and irresponsible. Otake said an investigation included a comprehensive review and analysis of video evidence and concluded that the complainant’s after-the-fact allegations were unsupported by evidence and would not withstand scrutiny in a criminal proceeding. Otake said Takahashi intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit and looks forward to establishing the truth at trial.
Spokespeople for the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, the City and County of Honolulu, and the Honolulu Fire Department all declined to comment to the news outlet. An earlier account from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that Takahashi was placed on administrative leave by HFD leadership following his release pending investigation, though that report does not establish his current employment status. The fire department has not said whether Takahashi remains on leave or has returned to duty.
Broader Context On Oahu
The Star-Advertiser’s earlier report also cited Honolulu Police Department statistics showing 98 sexual assaults reported on Oahu through late February 2025, compared with 144 reported over the same period in 2024. Separately, a lawsuit reported this year by king5.com alleged that leaders of a fire district in Whatcom County, Washington, knew about harassment in the firehouse but failed to stop it for years — a case raising similar questions about institutional accountability inside fire departments, though it is unrelated to the Honolulu case.
The civil case against Honolulu officials remains pending, and the lawsuit’s core allegations — including the claims against Takahashi and the handling of the prosecution — are disputed by his attorney and have not been resolved by a court.
