DOE prevails in lawsuit over school fire alarms

The state Department of Education has prevailed in a lawsuit brought by a contractor that sought $1 million in damages for its claims that the department breached contracts for fire alarm systems at eight Hawaii public schools.

The DOE had executed contracts with Ohana Control Systems Inc. in 2012 and 2013 to install or upgrade fire alarm systems at Benjamin Parker Elementary, Dole Middle, Mililani Middle, Puuhale Elementary, Waiau Elementary, Waihee Elementary, Momilani Elementary and Mokulele Elementary schools.

The DOE terminated six of those contracts for cause between 2015 and 2016 on multiple grounds, including failure to complete work on time, said a news release from the state Attorney General’s Office. The seventh contract was terminated for convenience in 2015. Only one of the eight contracts was completed, in 2015.

Ohana Control Systems filed a lawsuit against the DOE in January 2022 with 25 claims, including claims that DOE breached all eight contracts.

Circuit Court Judge Kevin T. Morikone granted summary judgment June 14 in favor of the DOE on several grounds, including that three of Ohana Control’s claims are without merit, and that claims were barred by the statute of limitations, the release said. Final judgment in favor of the DOE was entered July 17.