State House leaders intend to appoint a special committee to investigate Rep. Faye Hanohano over complaints about her conduct.

The probe was prompted by an email from a Hawaii Pacific University student who claims he was treated rudely by Hanohano on Friday, when he testified before her House Ocean, Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs Committee.

Aarin Jacobs, an HPU environmental studies student, spoke in favor of a bill that would have created administrative penalties for harming sharks and rays within state waters. He said in an email Wednesday to House leaders that Hanohano, who is Native Hawaiian, told him that he wanted to take her food. He said Hanohano also asked whether she would have to resort to eating people if there was a taro famine and she faced penalties for eating shark.

Jacobs, who is 22 and from Portland, Ore., said Hanohano rhetorically asked the audience why Westerners come to Hawaii and tell people what to do. He said the representative also inquired about his age and then dismissed him with a "pfft" and told him to sit down.

In February 2013, Hanohano (D, Hawaiian Acres-Pahoa-Kalapana) apologized on the House floor after she made a barrage of racial and ethnic remarks in front of exhibit specialists who were installing art in her office as part of the "Art in Public Places" program. Hanohano was upset that none of the work was from Native Hawaiian artists, and used terms such as "haoles," "Japs" and "pakes."

Hanohano said at the time that her office had contacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for training to ensure that similar incidents would not happen again.

House leaders said privately Thursday that there have been several incidents involving Hanohano that raise concern about her behavior.

House Speaker Joseph Souki (D, Waihee-Waiehu-Wailuku) informed Hanohano on Thursday about the special committee, sources said. The special committee will be made up of three Democrats and three Republicans and will determine whether the House should consider any disciplinary action.

Hanohano could not be reached for comment Thursday.

"The House takes seriously allegations of misconduct on the part of members," said House Majority Leader Scott Saiki (D, Downtown-Kakaako-McCully), who informed House Democrats about the special committee at a private caucus Thursday. "If there is a basis to investigate those allegations, then we will."

Hanohano, a former prison guard, was first elected to the House in 2006. She is a strong advocate for Native Hawaiians and often speaks Hawaiian first during debates at the Legislature.

When Hanohano apologized for her behavior last year, she took the time during the House floor session reserved for the Hawaiian word of the day to "mihi" — the Hawaiian word for "apologize" — in both Hawaiian and English.

Jacobs, the HPU student, told House leaders in his email that an apology is not enough for the latest incident. In his opinion she should be removed.

Jacobs said his experience testifying before Hanohano’s committee was nothing like he expected. The exchanges with Hanohano occurred, he said, after he had given his testimony and she called him back before the committee for questions.

"She very rudely berates me in front of the committee and audience, interrupting my responses to her, and speaking in Hawaiian without the courtesy of translation," he wrote in his email. "She asked questions and made statements that were irrelevant to the situation and discrediting to her position as a committee chair."

Hanohano’s committee deferred the bill that would have protected sharks and rays.