Timeline
Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop Signs Her Will and Testament Establishing the Kamehameha Schools.
Article 13 - “I give, devise, and bequeath all of the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate real and personal, wherever situated unto the trustees below named, their heirs and assigns forever, to hold upon the following trusts, namely: to erect and maintain in the Hawaiian Islands two schools, each for boarding and day scholars, one for boys and one for girls, to be known as, and called the Kamehameha Schools...”
Article 14 - "I further direct that the number of my said trustees shall be kept at five; and that vacancies shall be filled by the choice of a majority of the Justices of the Supreme Court, the selection to be made from persons of the Protestant religion."
Article 14 - "I further direct that the number of my said trustees shall be kept at five; and that vacancies shall be filled by the choice of a majority of the Justices of the Supreme Court, the selection to be made from persons of the Protestant religion."
October 31, 1883
Supreme Court of Hawai'i Justices Decline to Appoint Trustees of the Bishop Estate
The attached press release was the public announcement by four of the five justices of the State of Hawai’i Supreme Court that they would no longer participate in Kamehameha Schools trustee selection, providing their thinking on the subject. Particularly worthy of note is what they say about to whom the Trust belongs and who should be involved in selecting trustees. Also included here is a statement from the one justice who was willing to continue to participate in Kamehameha trustee selection.
December 20, 1997
Supreme Court of Hawai'i Justices Decline to Appoint Trustees of the Lunalilo Trust
This letter was sent to the trustees of the Lunalilo Trust by the same four State of Hawai’i Supreme Court justices on the same day they announced they would no longer participate in the selection of Kamehameha trustees. This begs the question as to why another “Ali’i Trust,” Kamehameha Schools, is currently subjected to a trustee selection process that differs from that of the Lunalilo Trust whose process is driven and managed by its own stakeholders.
December 20, 1997
Letter Sent to Kamehameha Schools Trustee Screening Committee Members
Efforts to seek change in the selection of Kamehameha Schools trustees began quietly with letters to the committee members who had been appointed to participate in the screening of applicants to replace Kamehameha Trustee Janeen Olds. This letter was sent to each screening committee member addressed individually.
May 2016
First Letter Sent to Probate Court Judge Derrick Chan
A response to this letter was never received nor was receipt of the letter acknowledged.
January 24, 2017
Second Letter Sent to Probate Court Judge Derrick Chan
A second letter was sent to Judge Derrick Chan when a new Probate Court Judge was appointed. A response to this letter was never received nor was receipt of this letter acknowledged.
March 3, 2017
Letter Sent to the Chief Justice of the State of Hawai’i Supreme Court
Receipt of this letter was acknowledged by the Court. However, no response to its contents was provided.
March 3, 2017
Letter Sent to Probate Court Judge Mark Browning
A response to this letter was never received nor was receipt of the letter acknowledged.
June 8, 2017
Op-ed Published in the Star-Advertiser
Efforts to effect changes turned to a more public arena with the publication of this op-ed article on Kamehameha Schools trustee selection.
January 6, 2019
House Concurrent Resolution No. 133 (HCR-133) Passed
HCR-133 was passed without dissent by both chambers of the State of Hawai’i Legislature and called for trustee selection by Kamehameha stakeholders as well as transparency in the selection process.
March 8, 2019
Op-ed Published in the Star-Advertiser
Once more, efforts to effect changes took to a more public arena with this op-ed article published after the Probate Court, basically with the support of the Attorney General and the then Kamehameha Schools Court Master, ignored what was called for in HCR-133.
November 14, 2019
Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Resolution No. 2020-46
The Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs requested the State of Hawai'i Probate Court to appoint a Special Court Master to reexamine the process for selecting KS trustees, with an eye for providing greater transparency and a dominant role for KS stakeholders in the process.
November 22, 2020
Letter Sent to Special Masters Appointed by the Probate Court
A letter was sent to three Special Masters appointed by the Probate Court to review the trustee selection process, and a meeting with the Special Masters was held as well. In their report, our concerns were not referenced or cited in their final report that was submitted to the Probate Court in June, 2024.
July 7, 2023
Special Masters' Report on the Trustees' Petition for Review of Trustee Selection Process and Trustee Terms
This is the report issued by the three Special Court Masters after spending a year reviewing the current Kamehameha Schools trustee selection process.
June 10, 2024
Letter Sent to the Attorney General
A letter was sent to the Attorney General who, in her role as parens patriae on behalf of Kamehameha beneficiaries, had a responsibility to respond to the Probate Court regarding the Special Masters’ Report. A follow-up meeting with staff from the Attorney General’s office occurred as well. This letter lists our concerns with the Special Masters’ Report. In her response to the Probate Court, the AG did not reference or cite our concerns.
June 14, 2024
Attorney General's Response to the Special Masters’ Report
A copy of the Attorney General’s actual response to the Special Masters’ Report that was filed with the Probate Court.
August 19, 2024
Letter Sent to the Newly Appointed Probate Court Judge
A letter was sent to the new appointed Probate Court Judge, the Honorable Jeannette Castagnetti. The letter provided a brief background and summarized the issue, the goal, and what had been proposed.
October 14, 2024
Notice of Ex-parte Communication from the Probate Court
A letter from the Probate Court to Ako, Chun and Dill of ex-parte communications based on the letter sent to the Probate Court on October 14, 2024.
October 29, 2024
A Hearing on the Special Masters’ Report in the Probate Court
The Honorable Jeannette Castagnetti, who continued the hearing on the matter held on September 19th, rendered a decision on the Special Court Masters’ Report regarding their review of the Kamehameha Schools trustee selection process.
November 14, 2024
Order Approving Amended and Restated Procedure for Trustee Selection
February 6, 2025