An administrative law judge ruled Monday that a Hono­lulu Airport manager fired last year over a failure to properly screen checked baggage can return to work, the employee’s lawyer said.

"Management personnel said they were not aware of the checked-baggage irregularities (and) should not have been held liable for people who violated the law," said Kailua attorney G. Todd Withy. "None of these managers admitted knowing anything that was going wrong."

In September 2011, 28 Transportation Security Administration employees accused of improper screening of checked baggage at Hono­lulu Airport were fired, 15 were suspended and three resigned or retired.

The investigation began in December 2010 when two TSA employees reported that luggage was being loaded onto flights without being screened or checked for explosives.

Withy said his client, Olivier Jodloman, who was a direct manager of the workers found responsible for not checking bags, will receive back pay, and "hopefully he’ll go back to work as soon as he can."

Another one of his clients, the manager above the reinstated manager, came to a confidential out-of-court settlement three months ago, Withy said, as did former Hono­lulu Police Department Deputy Chief Glen Kaji­yama, who had been federal security director in Hawaii since 2007.

Withy said the TSA still has the right to appeal the court’s decision.

The actual baggage handlers did not have appeal rights and remain fired.