HONOLULU -- An employee at the state Legislature has gotten some high-powered help from top state lawmakers after he was fired by a local cruise line. KITV 4 News investigative reporter Keoki Kerr said the legislators used their official stationery and titles to try to negotiate a settlement in the case.

Leon Rouse is the office manager for state Rep. Rida Cabanilla. Before he took that job at the end of last year, he worked as a cabin attendant on the Pride of Aloha cruise ship, owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines.

He was fired from the cruise job last summer before passing his 90-day probationary period, because fellow male cruise employees complained he was sexually harassing them, a charge he denied to the company, sources said.

State Sen. Brian Kanno met with top cruise line officials last July, asking the cruise to rehire Rouse or pay him a settlement. The company refused.

Then Kanno joined seven other legislators in writing the cruise line a letter on official state stationery, claiming that Rouse was unfairly terminated. They asked the company to give him back pay and other compensation.

Others Who Signed Letter:

Sen. Brian Taniguchi, Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman

Sen. Carol Fukunaga, Senate Economic Development Committee Chairwoman

Sen. Rosalyn Baker, Senate Health Committee Chairwoman

Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, Senate Human Services Committee Chairwoman

Rep. Eric Hamakawa, House Judiciary Committee Chairman

Rep. Kenneth Hiraki, Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee Chairman

Rep. Roy Takumi, House Education Committee Chairman

"How is that helping the public?" Kerr asked.

"I think there's a concern about employment practices, same thing. There were concerns (in another case) about a construction site and whether they met the OSHA requirements and (we) made inquiries in that matter," Kanno said.

Then earlier this year, Rouse's employer, Cabanilla, introduced a state House resolution asking Norwegian Cruise Lines for its personnel guidelines about how it handles sexual harassment complaints against employees.

The resolution, and a similar measure in the Senate, also asked the state Tax Department to assess whether the cruise line should pay the hotel room tax and other taxes, something that could cost the company millions of dollars.

"You don't think that's intimidation?" Kerr asked.

"It's not our intent to use intimidation. If there's a matter for concern, then in some cases we may write a letter," Kanno said.

Reached for comment, Norwegian Executive Vice President Robert Kritzman said, "We don't discuss individual personnel issues."

When he was asked if the resolutions looking into whether his company should pay hotel room taxes made his company intimidated, Kritzman said, "No, just confused by the content."

Rouse did not return phone calls by KITV 4 News. Cabanilla's office said the representative was traveling in Chicago Friday and was not available for comment.