No. SCWC-22-0000641, originally scheduled for Thursday, February 5, is continued to TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2026 – 5:00 P.M.

STEVE F. LOYOLA and TY AARON MEDEIROS, Petitioners/Appellants-Appellants, vs. COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I, Respondent/Appellee-Appellee.

The above-captioned case has been set for oral argument on the merits at:

William S. Richardson School of Law
Classroom 2 (Courtroom)and Classroom 3 (Overflow)
2515 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822

The oral argument will also be livestreamed for public viewing via the Judiciary’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/hawaiicourts.

Attorney for Petitioners STEVE F. LOYOLA and TY AARON MEDEIROS:
     Ted H.S. Hong

Attorneys for Respondent COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I:
     Mark D. Disher and Lerisa L. Heroldt, Deputies Corporation Counsel

NOTE: Order assigning Circuit Judge Clarissa Y. Malinao, due to a vacancy, filed 11/05/25.

NOTE: Order accepting Application for Writ of Certiorari, filed 11/18/25.

NOTE: Order granting motion to postpone the 02/05/26 oral argument, filed 01/21/26.

COURT: McKenna, Acting C.J., Eddins, Ginoza, and Devens, JJ., and Circuit Judge Malinao, assigned by reason of vacancy.

Brief Description:

This case arises out of an employment dispute where two Hawai‘i County Fire Department (HFD) battalion chiefs, Steve F. Loyola (Loyola) and Ty Aaron Medeiros (Medeiros), allege that their placement on “indefinite” leave with pay, denial of overtime, and peer humiliation constituted discipline or an adverse employment action. Petitioners’ underlying conduct involved oral and written communications to the Hawai‘i County Fire Commission requesting the resignation of the then fire chief.

Loyola and Medeiros appealed the HFD’s decision upholding their placement on paid administrative leave to the County of Hawai‘i Merit Appeals Board, which found and concluded that neither had suffered any discipline or adverse employment action. The circuit court and Intermediate Court of Appeals affirmed.

The question presented on certiorari is whether placement on “indefinite” paid administrative leave, denial of overtime, and peer humiliation constitute adverse employment actions and whether the actions against Loyola and Medeiros violated the merit principle in the context of free speech retaliation under article I, section 4 of the Hawai‘i Constitution.