HONOLULU – The Hawai’i law firm Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman has filed a lawsuit against the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai’i (BGCH), alleging the organization failed to protect a 10-year-old boy from repeated sexual abuse, harassment and bullying by another student at its Spalding Honolulu Clubhouse.
According to the lawsuit, BGCH staff ignored repeated reports of abuse from the victim, his 9-year-old sister and their mother between November 2023 and March 2024, and the alleged perpetrator—a fellow student at Lunalilo Elementary School—remained in the same program and continued his assaults. The abuse included physical and sexual assaults, racial harassment and repeated bullying that left the young victim traumatized and in need of professional counseling.
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The lawsuit alleges that BGCH failed to supervise children in its care, to act on known complaints and to follow mandatory reporting laws designed to protect minors from abuse. The nonprofit has previously faced incidents of sexual misconduct involving staff at other clubhouses across Hawai’i—raising serious concerns about systemic failures to ensure child safety. In at least two cases prior to November 2023, personnel were convicted for having improper contact with minors.
“This case reflects a tragic breakdown in the responsibility of a trusted youth organization to keep children safe,” said attorney Victoria Chang of Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman. “We have reason to believe there may be additional victims who have suffered similar abuse or neglect within Boys & Girls Club programs.”
The firm urges anyone who has experienced or witnessed abuse to come forward.
The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional and psychological harm and calls for reforms to BGCH’s supervision, reporting and safety protocols.
The case is Doe Parent et al. v Boys & Girls Club of Hawai’i et al., No. 1CCV-25-0001752, in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit in Hawai’i.
About Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman
Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman was founded in 1978 to protect the rights of everyday Hawai’i residents. With offices in Honolulu and Maui, the firm’s Hawai’i-based trial lawyers represent victims of the Lahaina fires and have successfully battled corporate giants on behalf of victims of asbestos exposure, sex abuse, birth defects and more.
