Court filings: HPD brass ignored sex harassment, retaliation complaints against embattled major

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu Police Maj. Stephen Gerona was shielded from complaints filed by rank-and-file officers, even against the recommendations of the city’s Equal Opportunity Office.

That’s according to a new court filing that’s triggering new scrutiny of the department.

The document, filed on Nov. 24, is part of an ongoing civil lawsuit filed by HPD Detective Maile Rego.

Rego alleged sex harassment and retaliation by the department.

The filing alleged Deputy Chief Rade Vanic administratively closed a previous sex harassment and retaliation case filed by another female HPD officer — despite the city’s own Equal Opportunity Office administrator recommending action.

The document said the EOO administrator asked HPD to reconsider and take action against Gerona — something Police Chief Joe Logan then refused to do.

Rego said HPD leaders allow “the abuse of authority that plagues the men and women of the HPD’s rank and file.”

In a 2021 interview with HNN Investigates, Rego said that the department leaders help their friends and punish their enemies.

“My client is still shocked, with the long history of allegations that still, this man is in a position at HPD today to be overseeing the rank and file officers,” said Joseph Rosenbaum, Rego’s attorney.

The court document said the EOO administrator found in the previous investigation “areas of concern which could be potential indicators of targeted action, discrimination, and retaliation for making complaints” but the administrator said the office did “doesn’t have the authority” to stop the chiefs from closing the case without action against Gerona.

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Legal expert Victor Bakke said the EOO report clearly showed the administrator found a problem with the decisions from Vanic and Logan.

“I think it’s very powerful evidence that HPD has mishandled the situation,” Bakke said.

The EOO memo to HPD added that when the department notified the female officer that her complaint was being closed “it must not state that concurrence was obtained.”

That means HPD could not say the EOO office agreed with HPD’s decision.

“Without question, there’s been a history that is documented in the court record of, of Major Gerona clearly having supervisory issues with his subordinates,” Rosenbaum said.

Gerona was already part of previous lawsuits that the city settled for a total of about $1.5 million.

Meanwhile, Gerona remains in command of HPD’s Major Events Division, supervising about two dozen police officers.

HNN Investigates asked HPD for a response to the accusations in the court filing, but did not receive a response. A spokesperson for the city said they could not comment on pending litigation.

The trial for Detective Maile Rego’s civil case is scheduled to start in April.