Dismissed: Warriors drop Tulimasealii

Defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii has been “permanently” dismissed from the University of Hawaii football team for violating the school’s student-athlete conduct code.

On June 14 in Circuit Court, Tulimasealii pleaded no contest to six criminal charges — including property damage, a Class C felony — stemming from four incidents involving a 20-year-old former girlfriend. In entering the plea, Tulimasealii requested a move for deferral. A deferral would give Tulimasealii an opportunity to avoid conviction and have the charges cleared from his criminal record if he stays out of trouble for a specified period of time.

In a news release, UH athletic director David Matlin cited the Student-Athlete Handbook that calls for “permanent” dismissal from a team if a player pleads “no contest to a felony charge.”

The dismissal was based solely on the felony charge, in which Tulimasealii was accused of causing damages exceeding $1,500 to a car’s navigational system. He also was charged with two counts of assault, resisting arrest, harassment and a lesser property damage. Assault and resisting arrest are misdemeanors; the other two are petty misdemeanors.

“This team and this (coaching) staff, we have great love for Kennedy, and nobody is happy about this,” head coach Nick Rolovich said. “But this is the repercussions of decisions that were made. We implemented what was in the Student-Athlete Handbook.”

Michael Green, Tulimasealii’s attorney, likened the dismissal to “beating a fly with a steamroller. I think the punishment far outweighs the crime.”

Green said the UH code did not consider that a deferral “is not a conviction,” and if conditions are met, the charge would be expunged from Tulimasealii’s record. Circuit Court Judge Christine Kuriyama will rule on the deferral request at a sentencing hearing on July 11. The hearing initially was scheduled for Aug. 24.

Green had hoped UH would rule on Tulimasealii after the deferral motion was decided.

But UH officials were satisfied the code was clear enough to impose a punishment. Also, the deadline to renew scholarships is Friday, the first day of the new fiscal year. Tulimasealii will remain on scholarship through Summer Session II, which ends Aug. 12.

Green said he plans to appeal to the UH vice chancellor. Green also said he would consider seeking injunctive relief to enable Tulimasealii to continue attending school with financial aid.

Rolovich acknowledged there are wide-ranging degrees of felonies, and “there’s a difference between a $1,500 property damage felony” and more severe crimes. But based on the code’s wording, Rolovich said, “there was no choice because the policy was in place and it was our job to implement it.”

Tulimasealii, a 2013 Waianae High graduate, was considered to be the Rainbow Warriors’ best defensive lineman.

He was suspended from team activities following his arrest on April 11 on accusations of assault, resisting arrest and harassment. While on suspension, Tulimasealii remained on scholarship, and was allowed to attend classes, and use the weight room and academic-support system.

“The punch in the gut is that a local boy who had a lot of promise has had a turn in life that is nothing like he expected,” Rolovich said. “We all have to be there for him. We want it to turn out as positively as it can. I will be there for Kennedy. Our staff will be there for Kennedy. His teammates will be there for Kennedy. Whenever that time is, and this becomes a success story, I hope we’re all here to celebrate it.”