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DHSS nominee fully confirmed despite pending federal sex discrimination case

Following his confirmation hearing at the Senate, Department of Human and Social Service director Taeaoafua Dr. Meki Solomona (right) is seen shaking hands with Sen. Magalei Logovi’I, yesterday, on the Senate floor.  [photo: FS]
Senators decide to ignore letter asking to consider the issue before voting to confirm
fili@samoanews.com

Taeaoafua Dr. Meki Solomona’s confirmation hearing yesterday before the Senate as Director for the Department of Human and Social Service was dominated with statements over the controversy surrounding an incident where Taeaoafua berated DHSS employee Simeonica Tuiteleleapaga last November, as well as a letter from Tuiteleleapaga’s uncle voicing concerns about the incident.

The letter was from Nikolao Iuli Pula Jr., to Senate President Gaoteote Tofau Palaie regarding the Nov. 9th meeting in which Taeaoafua made statements towards Tuiteleleapaga, who is a transgender, that are now the subject of a sex discrimination complaint that she has brought against Taeaoafua and the American Samoa Government. The meeting was tape recorded and posted on social media. (See separate story on the letter)

The Senate during yesterday’s session confirmed Taeaoafua in a 15-3 vote, while the House confirmed him early last week. He is now fully confirmed as DHSS director for the next four years of the Lolo Administration.

Prior to the Senate vote, Taeaoafua appeared earlier in the day before the Senate Human Social Services Committee for his confirmation hearing, where he said the DHSS is doing well, serving some 4,000 recipients in the food stamp program and nearly 6,000 under the Women, Infant and Children program.

Sen. Alo Fa’auuga was the first to question Taeaoafua about the alleged sexual discrimination incident, saying that he had heard media reports about an incident that happened at DHSS and then last Saturday he received a letter, which was probably also received by his colleagues regarding this incident.

While Alo didn’t elaborate on the incident or the letter, he asked if there is a court case on this issue to which Taeaoafua said he hasn’t received such information and pointed out that there are always two sides to a story.

Alo said he heard that there would be a court case in Honolulu between Taeaoafua and the individual involved in the incident. He recommended to Taeaoafua to show his love to all employees as well as the community and government.

During the 90-minute confirmation hearing, the Senate gallery was packed with DHSS employees, friends and family members of Taeaoafua, who along with several family members remained in the gallery throughout the Senate session. Several people even sat on the stairways and on the floor during the confirmation hearing because all chairs were taken.

Sen. Tuaolo Manaia Fruean noted that since day one of Senate confirmation hearings and up to yesterday, the gallery is packed with supporters of director-nominees. He pointed to Taeaoafua’s opening statement, that he along with other directors-appointees, who come before the Senate, are sons and daughters of American Samoa.

As of last Friday, said Tuaolo, the Senate has yet to reject any cabinet appointment because this shows the love of a father — and the Senate is the chamber of the fathers of the territory. And if the Senate rejects those who appear before senators, that means, “we are rejecting” sons and daughters of American Samoa, who were trusted by the governor to serve the government.

Tuaolo reminded the committee that no one is right all the time and people make mistakes. As to the incident mentioned in the hearing, Tuaolo said to leave the issue aside and for the Senate to move forward in making its decision.

Sen. Tuiagamoa Tavai appeared to lay the blame on the DHSS employee, for the cause of the incident, which prompted the letter and the media reports.  He publicly accused the employee of showing no respect towards Taeaoafua.

He claimed that the letter, given to senators, is trying to prevent Taeaoafua from getting confirmed as director. He said the letter was delivered by a woman, who he scolded and was told that if he (Tuiagamoa) was the director, he would have made the decision long time ago to fire the employee (Tuiteleleapaga) — who showed disrespect towards the director.

What is very bad about this issue, it appears that the information is coming from only one side, he said, adding that he believes that this was a set up so that Taeaoafua would get a negative mark on his job.

He said it appears that the tape recording only recorded Taeaoafua’s comments, but nothing about what the employee said to the DHSS director. He again claimed it was planned, a set up.

Tuiagamoa said he feels sorry for Taeaoafua that during the Nov. 9th meeting full of staff and when Taeaoafua spoke, the employee talked back (gutu oso). He again said that the employee showed disrespect by responding back, and talking back, to Taeaoafua who is the director, not another employee.

With the employee talking back, a director would be ashamed in a room full of employees, Tuiagamoa said, and again accused the employee — who is from Leone village — for being very disrespectful — “le mafaufau” — the Samoan phrase Tuiagamoa used at least four times in describing the employee.

He told Taeaoafua that he is the director (o le pule) and as the boss, makes the decisions. “It’s absolutely upon your discretion to make final decision,” Tuiagamoa said and again called the employee “le mafaufau” for talking-back to the director, who is the boss.

Tuiagamoa went on to claim that the employee had tried to shame Taeaoafua in front of the DHSS staff and he feels for Taeaoafua.

He claims that there is no difference between this incident and the Fa’aSamoa, in which when the matai meets with the extended family and the matai speaks and a family member talks back, the matai would be very unhappy. Tuiagamoa thanked Taeaoafua for his patience.

As to Taeaoafua’s comments that were recorded and reported by the media, Tuiagamoa believes such statements were made out of anger and displeasure over the employee in question.

And this is the nature of human beings, when they are angry, things are said that the person didn’t think about saying, according to Tuiagamoa, who claimed that Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga knows about this incident but re-appointed Taeaoafua for the same post, because of the governor’s trust in the director-nominee.

Tuiagamoa said that Taeaoafua didn’t quickly act “to terminate” or transfer the employee to another department, for the betterment of the government. He said that if these types of incidents were accepted, it would happen again in the future — that is when the director says something, employees respond or talk back.

In his nearly 8-minute statement, Tuiagamoa again used the Fa’aSamoa, which he says is respect, fa’aaloalo, and employees should show respect to the boss, the director.

Most of the senators who spoke during the hearing all acknowledged that they had received the letter in question and noted that they will ignore it.

Gaoteote says there are rules in place to conduct business in the Senate and senators who have received the letter can read it, but not to base their decision on such writings.  However, when it comes to the work of the Senate such writings — referring to the letter — cannot be presented before the chamber, without authorization from the Senate leadership or the committee chair. He encouraged senators to ask questions to the director-nominee.

Sen. Taua’a Saunoa Vaouli said he has known Taeaoafua for a long time and he was surprised with what was reported on what the director-appointee allegedly stated at the Nov. 9th meeting. He asked if there is audio recordings so that senators would all have a chance to hear it, noting that according to Taeaoafua there’s two sides of a story.

With no specific reaction from any of the senators, Gaoteote advised senators, “Today is not a judgment day” to hand down sentencing, but instead it’s the day to question the nominee’s qualification and experience, and his work in the past four years.