Society Needs to Change, Gov. Green Says, As He Signs Law Protecting Public Employees From Harassment

Drawing a line between free speech and threats or harassment to education workers, Green says it’s a “society-wide problem” and warns that those who cross the line will be pursued by the state Attorney General.

Gov. Josh Green signed into law two bills aimed at protecting Department of Education employees from harassment or physical violence following a series of cases in recent years. The law would establish training guidelines for employees, provide state legal assistance and would make violators subject to a misdemeanor. 

“You’re gonna get busted,” Green warned potential harassers at a news conference Monday. Violators could be punished by up to 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine.  

“No person should ever feel threatened. No person should ever be assaulted. No teacher, no educator should ever think about that in their lives. It’s completely unacceptable,” he added. 

The law, which was years in the making, for the first time authorizes the state Attorney General to assist threatened education workers, including sports officials at DOE facilities or public charter schools, to obtain a temporary restraining order against aggressors.  

Previously, the department often resisted moves to restrict harassing parents or others while requiring employees to handle those cases as private matters, including hiring their own lawyers. Political support for the bills changed after a violent attack on Moanalua High School Assistant Athletic Director Natalie Iwamoto on Dec. 4, 2025, was captured on surveillance video and circulated widely online.   

At the signing ceremony, Green and state lawmakers recognized the advocacy of Iwamoto and Lindsay Chambers, a former DOE communications director, who endured years of threatening comments, emails, social media posts and phone calls from an aggressive parent before she decided to leave her job for the private sector. Both received pens used to sign the legislation. 

“That’s why it’s so amazing when an individual who’s gone through something tough steps into a leadership role, like these two women, and encourages the Legislature to take action,” Green said. 

He also said it was unfortunate that it took a violent act against Iwamoto to push the Legislature to pass the bills that had failed in previous sessions. 

“A lot of times, that is how government works. It takes an extreme moment to alert us to a challenge,” Green said, though he noted that of the hundreds of bills passed by the Legislature only a small number fall into that category. 

Chambers, who attended the ceremony, said she looked forward to “closing this chapter,” adding that she was grateful to others in the small group who had advocated for the bills over years. But she said the signing was “bittersweet, knowing that something like this would have saved many of the victims that came before us from additional trauma that we are still working to heal from.” 

The main goal of the bill, she said, was “to ensure that the state can no longer say, ‘this is not our problem that you were harassed or assaulted, good luck on your own.” 

In the past, she said, state officials had forced employees to conduct their own investigations and to pay private attorney fees to seek temporary restraining orders or other protections. 

Iwamoto declined to comment on the law signing, citing the state’s ongoing legal case pending against Aukusitino Noga, who was accused of assault in the attack on her. Noga’s wife Jamielee pleaded “no contest” in June to a charge of harassment and was fined $1,000 and a 2-day jail sentence which was satisfied by time served.  

‘Signs Society Has Lost Its Way’ 

Asked after the ceremony to define the line between passionate parental advocacy and harassment, Green became more philosophical about the spread of aggressive behavior throughout society.  

“Sadly, in society now, there are just too many ways to subtly threaten individuals, to intimidate people. When it boils over in a terrible way, like you dealt with, it’s way beyond what anyone should ever accept,” Green said.  

He noted that the problems experienced by educational workers were similar to cases for emergency services workers, healthcare employees and others.  

“Society has to do a little better. We all have to be more thoughtful and caring about the impact of our words and our actions, because it shouldn’t come to the point where we see someone actually threatened before we feel we have to totally change policy. Laws really should be, in some cases,  the last resort. We should be able to solve our differences as civilized, caring people. … 

“But sometimes it takes a catalyst,” he added, “and that’s what these two women have been.” 

Green also expressed frustration with the overall fraying of social discourse. 

“It’s okay to express your concerns about our school system,” he said. “It’s okay to express your opinion on how to make things better. But it’s never okay to attack someone personally. It’s just not okay. It’s not okay in government. It’s not okay in the classroom. It’s not okay at a sporting event. We have to back away from that as a society.” 

“When things get physical, there’s no question at all,” he added. “But I would say anytime you’re communicating with an educator or anyone in society, if you directly threaten them or tell them that they could be harmed, you’ve crossed the line terribly.” 

Social media has made the situation worse, Green said, by providing cover to those who intend to harass public employees. 

“There are clear, clear indicators that society has lost its way. I actually have additional concerns about social media. And people hiding behind anonymous threats. That’s also terrible. It gets amplified. I can tell you as a public servant — and I know our educators who take a lot of input from the outside — it does hurt.” 

Private Sector Impact  

The new standard could reverberate in the private sector as well. Although not binding on private companies, the law reinforces the legal concept that employers are responsible for the safety of workers while doing their jobs.  

“However, it manifests itself, workplace violence is a major concern for employers and employees nationwide,” according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration website. It defines workplace violence as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening behavior that occurs at the work site.”  

While teachers and other employees in education often have the most direct interaction with the public, threats and actual violence have been increasing across the nation against judges, healthcare workers and others. Nationwide, about 750 violent acts in all public and private sectors resulted in fatalities in 2023, according to the latest available government records.   

OSHA places responsibility on employers to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. “The policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with employees,” it says.