Hawaii Revised Statutes

Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11 (2026)

  Complaint against unlawful discrimination

✓ current as of July 2026
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[PART II.  REMEDIES]

 

Revision Note

 

  Part II designation added by revisor pursuant to §23G-15.

 

Case Notes

 

  No intentional infliction of emotional distress as commission's act of sending official letter to settle complaint if appellant paid monetary damages and took out newspaper ad not "outrageous" conduct.  88 H. 85, 962 P.2d 344 (1998).

  The commission is subject to a duty to follow its own administrative rules, utilizing reasonable care, and was potentially negligent for instituting legal action barred by its own administrative rules.  88 H. 85, 962 P.2d 344 (1998).

  Where appellant's counterclaim lacked any allegation of physical injury to appellant or another as a result of the conduct of the commission, action for negligent infliction of emotional distress could not be maintained.  88 H. 85, 962 P.2d 344 (1998).

 

     §368-11  Complaint against unlawful discrimination.  (a)  The commission shall have jurisdiction over the subject of discriminatory practices made unlawful by part I of chapter 489, chapter 515, part I of chapter 378, and this chapter; provided that the commission shall not have jurisdiction over claims within the scope of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, P.L. 101-476, as amended.  Any individual claiming to be aggrieved by an alleged unlawful discriminatory practice may file with the commission's executive director a complaint in writing that shall state the name and address of the person or party alleged to have committed the unlawful discriminatory practice complained of, set forth the particulars thereof, and contain other information as may be required by the commission.  The attorney general, or the commission upon its own initiative, may, in like manner, make and file a complaint.

     (b)  A complaint may be filed on behalf of a class by the attorney general or the commission, and a complaint so filed may be investigated, conciliated, heard, and litigated on a class action basis.

     (c)  No complaint shall be filed after the expiration of one hundred eighty days after the date:

     (1)  Upon which the alleged unlawful discriminatory practice occurred; or

     (2)  Of the last occurrence in a pattern of ongoing discriminatory practice.

     (d)  For the purposes of this chapter "unlawful discriminatory practice" means an unfair discriminatory practice or like terms, as may be used in part I of chapter 489, chapter 515, or part I of chapter 378. [L 1989, c 386, pt of §1; am L 1991, c 252, §3; am L 2001, c 55, §17(2), (3); am L 2021, c 164, §3]

 

Law Journals and Reviews

 

  Viability of the Continuing Violation Theory in Hawai`i Employment Discrimination Law in the Aftermath of Ledbetter.   30 UH L. Rev. 423 (2008).

 

Case Notes

 

  Plaintiff's submission of the pre-complaint questionnaire to the Hawaii civil rights commission constituted the filing of a complaint for purposes of calculating the state filing deadlines; plaintiff's complaint for state law sexual harassment was not filed with the commission in a timely manner.  468 F. Supp. 2d 1210 (2006).

  The "single-filing" or "piggyback" rule applied under Hawaii law, where the "dual-filed" equal employment opportunity commission administrative complaints of four plaintiffs-intervenors were filed after the 180-day deadline in subsection (c) and the plaintiffs-intervenors sought to "piggyback" on the timely administrative complaints of three other plaintiffs-intervenors.  504 F. Supp. 2d 1008 (2007).

  Other than a single statement that plaintiff claimed was an example of age discrimination, plaintiff did not provide any further clarification as to which specific acts comprised plaintiff's hostile work environment claim.  Moreover, there appeared to be no allegation of any related conduct that occurred within the required time frame to file an age discrimination charge.  Thus, the court rejected plaintiff's assertion that plaintiff's age discrimination claim was timely based upon a continuing violation theory.  140 F. Supp. 3d 1043 (2015).

  Where original complaint was timely filed under subsection (c), amendment of complaint pursuant to Hawaii administrative rule §12-46-6.1 to add agent of employer responsible for alleged discriminatory conduct also did not violate statute of limitations under this section.  89 H. 269, 971 P.2d 1104 (1999).

 

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 32 cases (11 in the last 5 years), 1994–2025 · leading case: SCI Mgmt. Corp. v. Sims, 71 P.3d 389 (Haw. 2003).
SCI Mgmt. Corp. v. Sims, 71 P.3d 389 (Haw. 2003). · cites it 12× “See HRS §§ 368-11 & 368-12 (1993). Hence, all complaints must be administratively initiated and no right to a judicial action under HRS § 368-12 exists, except in HRS § 515-9 (1993) proceedings involving housing discrimination, where one is expressly given.”
Schefke v. Reliable Collection Agency, Ltd., 32 P.3d 52 (Haw. 2001). · cites it 5× “HRS § 368-11 provides in pertinent part as follows: Complaint against unlawful discrimination.”
Sam Teague, Ltd. v. Hawai'i Civil Rights Comm'n, 971 P.2d 1104 (Haw. 1999). · cites it 10× “On appeal, Employer contends that the circuit court erred by affirming the Commission’s final decision because: (1) Shaw’s amended complaint was untimely filed violating the statute of limitations in HRS § 368-11 (1993); (2) Employer’s policy prohibiting any type of extended…”
Ross v. Stouffer Hotel Co. (Hawai'i) Ltd., 879 P.2d 1037 (Haw. 1994). · cites it 4× “HRS § 368-11(c)(1) (Supp.1992) provides that no "complaint shall be filed [with the Civil Rights Commission] after the expiration of one hundred eighty days after the date .”
Brown v. KFC Nat'l Mgmt. Co., 921 P.2d 146 (Haw. 1996). · cites it 4× “)); HRS § 368-11(b) (1993) (“A complaint may be filed on behalf of a class by the attorney general or the [HCRC], and a complaint so filed may be investigated, conciliated, heard, and litigated on a class action basis.”
U.S. Equal Emp. Opportunity Comm'n v. NCL Am. Inc., 504 F. Supp. 2d 1008 (D. Haw. 2007). · cites it 4× “§ 368-11. This is a different deadline than that for filing suit.”
Douglass v. Pflueger Hawaii, Inc., 135 P.3d 129 (Haw. 2006). · cites it 2× “) Pursuant to HRS § 368-11(a) (Supp.2004), the HCRC has jurisdiction, inter alia, “over the subject of discriminatory practices made unlawful by .”
Lalau v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 938 F. Supp. 2d 1000 (D. Haw. 2013). · cites it 3× “See Haw.Rev.Stat. §§ 368-11, 368-12. However, because there is no dispute that Lalau submitted a charge to the HCRC, and because the City does not contend on the present motion that- Lalau failed to exhaust his administrative remedies with respect to his section 378-2 claims,…”
Mukaida v. Hawaii, 159 F. Supp. 2d 1211 (D. Haw. 2001). · cites it 2× “§ 378-4; see also Haw.Rev.Stat. § 368-11. Section 368-12 allows the HCRC to issue a right-to-sue letter.”
Jackson v. Foodland Super Mkt., Ltd., 958 F. Supp. 2d 1133 (D. Haw. 2013). · cites it 5× “) Defendant argues that Plaintiff is time-barred from basing her discrimination claim on any events that took place prior to September, 18, 2010.”
Aoyagi v. Straub Clinic & Hosp., Inc., 140 F. Supp. 3d 1043 (D. Haw. 2015). · cites it 2× “Where, as here, a plaintiff files charges with both the EEOC and the HCRC, a discrimination charge under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the ADEA must be filed with the EEOC within 300 days after the alleged discriminatory event.”
Hale v. Hawaii Publications, Inc., 468 F. Supp. 2d 1210 (D. Haw. 2006). · cites it 2× “§ 368-11(c). However, the Hawaii legislature carved out an exception to the filing requirement for sexual harassment claims.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(a) — 5 cases
SCI Mgmt. Corp. v. Sims, 71 P.3d 389 (Haw. 2003). “See HRS §§ 368-11 & 368-12 (1993). Hence, all complaints must be administratively initiated and no right to a judicial action under HRS § 368-12 exists, except in HRS § 515-9 (1993) proceedings involving housing discrimination, where one is expressly given.”
Douglass v. Pflueger Hawaii, Inc., 135 P.3d 129 (Haw. 2006). “) Pursuant to HRS § 368-11(a) (Supp.2004), the HCRC has jurisdiction, inter alia, “over the subject of discriminatory practices made unlawful by .”
Epileptic Found. v. City & Cnty. of Maui, 300 F. Supp. 2d 1003 (D. Haw. 2004).
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(b) — 1 case
Brown v. KFC Nat'l Mgmt. Co., 921 P.2d 146 (Haw. 1996). “)); HRS § 368-11(b) (1993) (“A complaint may be filed on behalf of a class by the attorney general or the [HCRC], and a complaint so filed may be investigated, conciliated, heard, and litigated on a class action basis.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(c) — 9 cases
Sam Teague, Ltd. v. Hawai'i Civil Rights Comm'n, 971 P.2d 1104 (Haw. 1999). “On appeal, Employer contends that the circuit court erred by affirming the Commission’s final decision because: (1) Shaw’s amended complaint was untimely filed violating the statute of limitations in HRS § 368-11 (1993); (2) Employer’s policy prohibiting any type of extended…”
U.S. Equal Emp. Opportunity Comm'n v. NCL Am. Inc., 504 F. Supp. 2d 1008 (D. Haw. 2007). “§ 368-11. This is a different deadline than that for filing suit.”
Hale v. Hawaii Publications, Inc., 468 F. Supp. 2d 1210 (D. Haw. 2006). “§ 368-11(c). However, the Hawaii legislature carved out an exception to the filing requirement for sexual harassment claims.”
Kaulia v. Cnty. of Maui, Dept. of Pub. Works, 504 F. Supp. 2d 969 (D. Haw. 2007).
Jackson v. Foodland Super Mkt., Ltd., 958 F. Supp. 2d 1133 (D. Haw. 2013). “) Defendant argues that Plaintiff is time-barred from basing her discrimination claim on any events that took place prior to September, 18, 2010.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(c)(1) — 2 cases
Ross v. Stouffer Hotel Co. (Hawai'i) Ltd., 879 P.2d 1037 (Haw. 1994). “HRS § 368-11(c)(1) (Supp.1992) provides that no "complaint shall be filed [with the Civil Rights Commission] after the expiration of one hundred eighty days after the date .”
Alkire-Cleme v. State, 154 Haw. 38 (Haw. App. 2024).
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(c)(2) — 1 case
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(d) — 1 case
Brown v. KFC Nat'l Mgmt. Co., 921 P.2d 146 (Haw. 1996). “)); HRS § 368-11(b) (1993) (“A complaint may be filed on behalf of a class by the attorney general or the [HCRC], and a complaint so filed may be investigated, conciliated, heard, and litigated on a class action basis.”
— Haw. Rev. Stat. § 368-11(e) — 1 case
Lalau v. City & Cnty. of Honolulu, 938 F. Supp. 2d 1000 (D. Haw. 2013). “See Haw.Rev.Stat. §§ 368-11, 368-12. However, because there is no dispute that Lalau submitted a charge to the HCRC, and because the City does not contend on the present motion that- Lalau failed to exhaust his administrative remedies with respect to his section 378-2 claims,…”
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