The Aug. 28 editorial alleged that "a caller" to The Maui News "alleged that 'the governor punched a schoolteacher'" after the schoolteacher shouted at the governor. This was said to have happened on Aug. 12 in Kahului Airport.
"A reporter was asked to make a few phone calls," the editorial states. The teacher did not call back. State airport officials did not call back. Tulsi Gabbard was at the airport with the governor and said "she witnessed no commotion, heard no shouting." The governor's deputy director of communications said a teacher shouted at the governor and he continued on his way, and that the security personnel did their job in keeping the teacher a good distance from the governor.
Then the editorial writer finishes by saying: "We understand there's a security videotape of the incident. We'd like to see it."
Yeah? I'd like to know the name of the anonymous caller - the only one saying anything at all happened.
Having lived through Watergate, I know that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's editor insisted on three sources for accusations like this.
Apparently The Maui News is satisfied with one anonymous call as the basis for a whole editorial. Shame on you.
Sally Raisbeck
Wailuku
