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HONOLULU (AP) — The state attorney general says a judge has ruled that the Hawaii Department of Education didn't violate the state constitution by not making a Hawaiian language immersion program available for students on Lanai.
According to the attorney general's office, the judge ruled in favor of the state Wednesday.
A Lanai mother sued the state in 2014 over a lack of Hawaiian immersion education for her daughters.
Department spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz says it's a challenge to find qualified teachers for Hawaiian immersion. She says the department has been exploring options to provide Hawaiian immersion on Lanai and is working on finding a solution to the staffing shortage.
Attorneys from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp. who filed the lawsuit couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
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