The Hawaii State Ethics Commission has granted the principal of Kaunakakai Elementary School a good-cause exception from the state’s new nepotism law, allowing him to continue employing his daughter as preschool special education teacher.
What You Need To Know
Kaunakakai Elementary School is the only public school on Molokai serving preschool special education students
When the previous special education teacher resigned in June, the school posted a notice on the DOE’s NEOED hiring platform seeking applicants for the position; Espaniola’s daughter, a licensed, certified special education teacher, was the only person who applied before the start of the new school year
Espaniola recused himself from the interview process, but, based on the recommendation of the hiring panel, granted final approval for the hire
While stating that nepotism law exceptions “should rarely be granted,” the commission agreed that the case warranted such an exception
