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JOHN W. GOEMANS / 1933-2009
Lawyer's work opened OHA voting
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jun 16, 2009
John W. Goemans achieved a success few attorneys reach when the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed his stand against discrimination in the precedent-setting Rice v. Cayetano case.
But Goemans was vilified by Hawaiian sovereignty advocates for that case, which opened voting for Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees to all voters, and a subsequent suit challenging Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiians-only admission policy.
In private practice on his own with limited resources, he challenged the well-funded opponents because of "his big passion for civil rights and constitutional law," said his son, Edward. "He believed there should be equal treatment for Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians -- everyone should have a fair shot."
Goemans, 75, died yesterday at his sister's home in Solvang, Calif. He had pancreatic cancer.
"He was a one-man show. He was dedicated to the law," said Sally Rice of Waimea, Hawaii. "He was very concerned about the native Hawaiian entitlements and their long-term effects on the people of this state, and that's why he took on these lawsuits."
She said the challenge to the OHA Hawaiians-only balloting "was John's idea. He saw the issue and looked for the plaintiff." Her former husband, Big Island kamaaina rancher Harold "Freddy" Rice, signed on.
Goemans was born in Milwaukee, and came to Hawaii after earning a law degree at the University of Virginia. He was a college roommate of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and they remained close friends through the years, said his son.
Goemans served a term in the state House and ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House.
His suit challenging the Kamehameha Schools' admission policy was before the high court when the plaintiff, an unnamed student, agreed to a settlement in 2007. Goemans revealed that the school sought the $7 million settlement, despite a confidential agreement, angering his co-counsel, a California attorney, as well as the school. Both filed motions against him in court.
He is survived by son Edward Kula of Texas; daughter Kara of Mill Valley, Calif.; brother Ron Mayo of San Diego; and sisters Peg Goemans of Solvang, Calif., and Patty Bulger of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Services will be held in California. His ashes will be scattered in Hawaii at a later date.
The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, 222 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
John W. Goemans achieved a success few attorneys reach when the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed his stand against discrimination in the precedent-setting Rice v. Cayetano case.
But Goemans was vilified by Hawaiian sovereignty advocates for that case, which opened voting for Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees to all voters, and a subsequent suit challenging Kamehameha Schools' Hawaiians-only admission policy.
In private practice on his own with limited resources, he challenged the well-funded opponents because of "his big passion for civil rights and constitutional law," said his son, Edward. "He believed there should be equal treatment for Hawaiians and non-Hawaiians -- everyone should have a fair shot."
Goemans, 75, died yesterday at his sister's home in Solvang, Calif. He had pancreatic cancer.
"He was a one-man show. He was dedicated to the law," said Sally Rice of Waimea, Hawaii. "He was very concerned about the native Hawaiian entitlements and their long-term effects on the people of this state, and that's why he took on these lawsuits."
She said the challenge to the OHA Hawaiians-only balloting "was John's idea. He saw the issue and looked for the plaintiff." Her former husband, Big Island kamaaina rancher Harold "Freddy" Rice, signed on.
Goemans was born in Milwaukee, and came to Hawaii after earning a law degree at the University of Virginia. He was a college roommate of U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and they remained close friends through the years, said his son.
Goemans served a term in the state House and ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. House.
His suit challenging the Kamehameha Schools' admission policy was before the high court when the plaintiff, an unnamed student, agreed to a settlement in 2007. Goemans revealed that the school sought the $7 million settlement, despite a confidential agreement, angering his co-counsel, a California attorney, as well as the school. Both filed motions against him in court.
He is survived by son Edward Kula of Texas; daughter Kara of Mill Valley, Calif.; brother Ron Mayo of San Diego; and sisters Peg Goemans of Solvang, Calif., and Patty Bulger of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Services will be held in California. His ashes will be scattered in Hawaii at a later date.
The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, 222 E. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
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