Kahuku Coach Carvalho’s Lawsuit: Firing, Defamation, and Ruling

The Kahuku coach Carvalho lawsuit is a July 2025 civil case in which Sterling Carvalho, the fired head football coach at Kahuku High School, sued the Hawaii Department of Education, two DOE officials, a former player, and the player’s father for breach of contract and defamation. A state circuit court judge denied Carvalho’s request to be reinstated to the sideline for the 2025 season, but the broader case remains pending.

Why Carvalho Was Fired

The events that ended Carvalho’s tenure began in the summer of 2023. Kalani K.G. Hallums, the father of then-team captain Tavian “Manoa” Hallums, posted profane Instagram attacks on Carvalho by name.¹ Carvalho then met privately with Manoa. Manoa said the coach pressured him to publicly defend Carvalho online and push back against his father.² Carvalho denied intimidating the student.

The DOE investigated and concluded Carvalho had threatened a student-athlete’s father and created a hostile environment.³ Complex Area Superintendent Samuel Izumi issued a termination letter on March 31, 2025, stating that Carvalho “was not remorseful,” was “not respectful,” and had “created a hostile environment,” and concluding that his actions failed to reflect ethical standards or provide a caring environment.⁴ The DOE opted for immediate termination rather than progressive discipline.

Who Carvalho Sued and For What

On July 14, 2025, Carvalho and attorney Eric Seitz filed suit in Hawaii Circuit Court, First Circuit (Case No. 1CCV-25-00011368), alleging breach of contract and defamation.⁴ He also argued the DOE denied him due process, including a fair hearing to dispute the accusations.³ The suit seeks compensation for lost income and emotional distress, plus reinstatement.

The named defendants are DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi; Samuel Izumi, who signed the termination letter; Kalani K.G. Hallums, the parent behind the social media posts and complaints; and Tavian “Manoa” Hallums, the former team captain, whom Carvalho accused of providing inaccurate and false reports about their private meeting. Seitz described the elder Hallums as a parent who had complained about playing time at multiple schools.⁵

The Contract Question

DOE policy classifies all head coaches as “casual hires.” They are part-time, non-salaried employees whose appointments end automatically at the close of each fiscal year. To coach the next season, a person has to reapply, pass a new background check, and sign a fresh one-year contract.⁴

Carvalho signed annual contracts for 2022 and 2023. For 2024 the athletic director executed a contract, but Carvalho himself never signed it, though he was allowed to coach through June 30, 2024. For 2025, no written contract was offered or signed. Carvalho did not reapply, did not undergo the background check, and did not attend the mandatory preseason meeting.⁴

Carvalho argued that a January 2025 post-season evaluation meeting with school officials created an oral or implied contract. The court disagreed, finding no evidence contract terms were discussed there and no mutual agreement amounting to an offer of employment. By the time of the hearing, Kahuku had already hired another coach.⁴

The Defamation Claim and the State’s Defenses

Carvalho’s defamation claim focused on the language in Izumi’s March 31, 2025, termination letter — that Carvalho “was not remorseful,” was “not respectful,” and “created a hostile environment.” He alleged those characterizations were false and would permanently damage his coaching reputation in Hawaii.⁴

The state raised three defenses. Defamation claims against state officials acting in their official capacities are barred by Hawaii statute. The termination letter went only to the school principal, the DOE’s human resources director, and the Office of Talent Management, making it a privileged communication under Hawaii law. And because a high-profile head coach is arguably a public figure, Carvalho would have to prove actual malice, which the state said the record did not support.⁴

The August 2025 Ruling

On August 1, 2025, Oahu Circuit Court Judge Jordon J. Kimura denied Carvalho’s request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction that would have returned him to the sideline immediately.⁶

On the merits, the court found Carvalho unlikely to prevail on either claim: no 2025 contract existed to breach, and the defamation allegations were either statutorily barred or protected by qualified privilege. On irreparable harm, the court called Carvalho’s career-ending argument speculative, noting he had not applied for a coaching job at any other school and could not point to a single rejected application. On the public interest, Judge Kimura found that reinstating Carvalho would force Kahuku to break its contract with the newly hired coach to accommodate one with no contract of his own.⁴

The court also characterized what Carvalho sought as a mandatory injunction, an order compelling the state to act rather than simply refrain from acting. Hawaii courts treat that as an extraordinary remedy, appropriate only when the facts and law clearly favor the person requesting it. Carvalho fell short of that standard.⁴

Where Things Stand

After the ruling, Seitz told reporters the legal fight was “not done” and that Carvalho would press forward with the underlying lawsuit.⁶ He acknowledged that if the case went to trial, it could be years before Carvalho returned to coaching.⁷ As of mid-2025, Carvalho remained employed by the DOE as a math teacher at Hawaii Technology Academy, a public charter school.⁸

Kahuku moved on. Defensive coordinator Nihoa Pule served as interim head coach for the 2025 season and finished 8–4.⁹ On December 19, 2025, the school named David H. Stant Jr. as the permanent head coach.¹⁰

1
Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Court Hearing on Ex-Kahuku Coach’s Job Is Set for Friday
2
KHON2. Former Kahuku Head Football Coach Says He’s Suing to Clear His Name and Return to Sideline
3
KITV. Former Kahuku Football Coach Carvalho Sues State Over Dismissal
4
Sports Litigation Alert. Contract-Less Coach Loses Injunction Request to Reinstate Contract
5
Hawaii News Now. Ousted Kahuku Head Coach Sues DOE, Former Team Captain, His Father
6
Aloha State Daily. Attorney for Former Kahuku Football Coach Says Legal Battle Not Done Despite Friday’s Ruling
7
KHON2. Judge to Rule on Injunction Which Could Get Former Kahuku Head Coach Back on Sideline Immediately
8
Hawaii News Now. A Just Very Unfortunate Case: Over Abrupt Firing, Kahuku Head Football Coach Heads to Court
9
Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Kahuku Hires David Stant as Head Football Coach
10
Hawaii News Now. Kahuku Announces New Varsity Football Head Coach