On Tuesday, April 21, the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court heard oral argument at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law. The evening session, held at the law school and beginning at 5 p.m., was scheduled to make it easier for law students to attend and observe the court in action.

The Supreme Court has periodically held oral arguments at the law school over the past 15 years, beginning in 2011. The School of Law served as host for this latest session, continuing a longstanding effort to make court proceedings accessible to students and the broader community.

The case heard, Steve F. Loyola and Ty Aaron Medeiros vs. County of Hawaiʻi, arises from an employment dispute involving two Hawaiʻi County Fire Department battalion chiefs. The matter asks whether their placement on indefinite paid administrative leave, denial of overtime, and alleged peer humiliation constituted adverse employment actions, including in the context of claimed free speech retaliation under the Hawaiʻi Constitution.