A former state archaeologist has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging his contract was not renewed by the state Historic Preservation Division because of his opinions on "illegal, unethical or culturally insensitive" activities at the division.

David Brown's contract was not renewed by the state in 2006 after nine months on the job. The Hawai'i Government Employees Association declined to move forward with a union grievance Brown had filed about his treatment.

"I have intimate knowledge, being an insider, to all the daily occurrences in that office and I know exactly how things were flowing," Brown told reporters outside the federal court building yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, which oversees the division, declined to comment on the lawsuit because the department had not seen a copy.

Heavy staff turnover within the division has led to complaints by former employees and private archaeologists that the division's mission to protect cultural resources is being undermined. Staffing and management issues at the division were cited as a factor when the state Senate voted last session to reject Peter Young for another term as department director.

Brown alleges in his lawsuit that Melanie Chinen, the division's administrator, made decisions about which development projects were cleared by the division based on politics.

In April, in written testimony for the Senate during the Young confirmation hearings, Chinen said Brown was not retained because she believed he was not the best person for the job.

"This committee and the public should also be made aware that Mr. Brown indicated on several occasions that he 'would bring the Lingle administration down.' Thus, his objectives appear to be personal and retaliatory," Chinen wrote at the time.