A former official with Kamehameha Schools' Hawai'i campus has filed a defamation lawsuit against the school and the campus' headmaster.

The lawsuit was filed yesterday in 3rd Circuit Court on the Big Island by Darren Ah Chong, who worked as director of operations at the Kea'au campus from Jan. 11, 2002, until June 30, 2004. Ah Chong is being represented by attorney Ted Hong.

Ah Chong, 39, alleges that he was unexpectedly forced to resign at a meeting with Headmaster Stanley Fortuna Jr. and another employee.

The lawsuit alleges that Fortuna said Ah Chong "had no other choice but to sign a resignation form ... or be immediately terminated."

When Ah Chong asked why he was being let go, all Fortuna said was "performance," the lawsuit said. But Ah Chong said only three weeks earlier he received "very high marks" in a performance evaluation, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit alleges that Ah Chong was told by another school employee that if he didn't sign the resignation letter that "he would have a hard time trying to find any future work in Hilo." Following his resignation, Ah Chong accuses Fortuna and the school of telling others Ah Chong was terminated "due to incompetence, mismanagement and embezzlement," the lawsuit said.

Kekoa Paulsen, Kamehameha Schools' spokesman, said he could not comment on the lawsuit because it involved a personnel matter. He also said the school had not been served with the lawsuit as of yesterday afternoon.

Ah Chong said it was not until an Aug. 11 meeting with school officials in Honolulu that he was told that he was terminated because he did not follow the organizational chain of command and because of his incompetence and mismanagement in handling fiscal matters.

Ah Chong, a Kamehameha graduate and director of the school's alumni association, said he had only one person to assist him and had continually recommended changes to improve the efficiency of his office. But Ah Chong said Fortuna refused to grant the requests, according to the lawsuit.

Hong said when the school realized there would be a huge budget shortfall at the end of the 2004 fiscal year, they needed a scapegoat and targeted Ah Chong.

"What we're trying to say is you cannot let people go under these kinds of circumstances, hold them out as a scapegoat and then blame them for the lack of ability on the part of upper management," Hong said.

Ah Chong said his wife works at Kamehameha Schools and his two daughters are students there. He said they have discussed the difficulties they will face now that the complaint has been filed.

Ah Chong is seeking an undetermined amount in damages.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.