Doe v. Kamehameha Lawsuit Settled

Aloha kakou,

Kamehameha Schools and John Doe's attorneys have reached an agreement whereby John Doe has withdrawn his petition for certiorari to the Supreme Court. This means:

(1) First and foremost, Princess Pauahi's intended beneficiaries will continue to be blessed by her visionary gift of education.

(2) The majority opinion of the Ninth Circuit Court ruling of December 5, 2006 will be the last legal word on the Kamehameha Schools' admissions policy. That is, it can be cited as strong precedent for support of Kamehameha Schools' unique mission to serve the indigenous people of Hawai'i, with the blessing of Congress and the ongoing support of the U.S. courts.

[To clarify, John Doe will not be admitted to the Kamehameha Schools, because he already graduated from high school in 2006].

The Kamehameha Schools admissions preference has unfortunately been caught up in a larger political movement seeking to strip aboriginal peoples of the few resources remaining after colonization. The current political climate is not favorable to Native American Indians, Native Alaskans or Native Hawaiians. Therefore, I support the Kamehameha Schools' decision to avoid any further risk associated with fighting this particular lawsuit.

It has been my highest pleasure to serve our community by keeping us united in prayer during these 21 months since the original Ninth Circuit Court ruling. From marching alongside thousands in the heart of San Francisco, to our many prayer vigils (from the islands to different locations on the continent to Iraq), I have been blessed beyond measure to see our people unite at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ.

As I shared at the San Francisco march and rally, we were at a crossroads as a people. I believe we chose wisely. We put aside our own differences, worked hard to forgive as we've been forgiven, and turned to Ke Akua alone in our distress. I believe He has heard the prayers of His people, and answered by giving us this opportunity to put this matter behind us....starting today.

I pray His blessings on each one of you I've met (in person, or via the web), until we meet again.

Imua Kamehameha! Imua Hawai'i!

Me ke aloha pumehana o 'Iesu Kristo,
Noelani (Loo) Jai, KS '83
Noelani@HawaiiansUnite.com