The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday approved a $250,000 settlement for a Honolulu police detective who accused the department of gender discrimination and failing to issue a timely Amber Alert in a missing child case. 

Maile Rego, a detective in the child and family violence detail, filed a whistleblower lawsuit in 2021 accusing the Honolulu Police Department of failing to take proper action after a baby was reported missing on Feb. 10 of that year. 

HPD should have entered the child’s information into Hawaii’s Missing Children Information Clearinghouse within two hours of her being reported missing but did not, Rego’s lawsuit says. 

She notified a lieutenant, the FBI and the attorney general about the delayed response and then faced retaliation from the department, according to her complaint. 

She also said she faced gender discrimination unrelated to the missing child case that took a physical and emotional toll. 

“It’s affected my passion for what I used to love,” Rego said at the time. “It’s my calling to protect kids. And everything that’s happened has hurt my soul. I get it, why people don’t want to speak up.”

Her lawyer, Joseph Rosenbaum, said in a statement that Rego is glad HPD “took what happened to her seriously” and settled the case. 

“Det. Rego wants the best for HPD’s law enforcement personnel moving forward and she firmly believes HPD will work towards making HPD a better workplace,” the statement says. 

Spokespeople for HPD and the City and County of Honolulu did not return requests for comment.