The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo Parents and out-of-school students share their message during a protest against public school Furlough Fridays in front of Costco in Kahului on Friday. Twin lawsuits seeking to halt the teacher furloughs face a court hearing Monday, after negotiations failed. The hearing could be raucous, one of the lawyers said.

HONOLULU — Twin lawsuits filed by parents seeking to halt Hawaii’s teacher furloughs face a pivotal federal court hearing after settlement negotiations foundered this week. One of the lawyers representing the parents, Eric Seitz, said Monday’s hearing could be raucous. Attorney General Mark Bennett allowed school principals and teachers to discuss furlough-related issues with parents who are part of the lawsuits outside of the presence of attorneys, Seitz said. The school officials discussed the furloughs and problems children may have encountered because of them with affected parents, he said. The discussions were summarized in several declarations filed with the court by Bennett’s staff Thursday. More than a dozen declarations were filed in both cases by principals and other school employees. Many of them assert that meetings were held with parents of specific special education students, and that the students appeared to be adjusting well to the teacher furlough days.