State sheriffs this evening issued trespassing citations to seven adults who are participating in day 3 of a sit-in at the governor's office over public school furloughs.

Those cited refused to leave the governor's office after the office closed for the weekend, the governor's office said in a news release.

The sheriffs informed the small group of people in the reception area of the office that if they did not leave, they would be cited for simple trespass.

After the sheriffs gave them time to decide what they would do, about six adults and several children left the office, the governor's office said in a news release.

Seven adults chose to stay and each was cited for simple trespass. Those cited were not removed from the office.

No children were cited. As of 6:30 p.m., five adults and three children remained in the office, the governor's office said.

Today is the third day of sit-ins in the reception area of the governor's office by parents and public school students with Save Our Schools Hawaii, a grassroots organization of parents concerned about teacher furloughs.

Today is the first time officials have cited the protesters. Earlier, the group was effectively denied access to bathrooms, having been told that anyone who left the office would not be allowed to return.

The group has been conducting the overnight sit-ins because it wants Lingle to negotiate directly with the teachers union and the state Board of Education.

To that, the governor's news release today said:

"Claims by the group that first occupied the office on Wednesday that Governor Lingle has not been personally involved in the negotiations to end teacher furloughs are patently false. The Governor has had face-to-face meetings on multiple occasions with the Department of Education, including the previous superintendent and the current superintendent; the Board of Education, including different factions within the board; the Hawai'i State Teachers Union, including the past president and the current president; and various legislators.

"The Governor is continuing to work with the DOE and legislators to resolve the furlough issue. However, the HSTA has said it will not continue to negotiate.

"The individuals who are making false allegations against the Governor should encourage the HSTA to change its position that it will no longer negotiate to end the school closures."

The state on Oct. 23 began a series of teacher furloughs that would cut a total of 34 classroom days this school year and next. So far there have been 13 furlough days out of 17 scheduled for the 2009-10 school year.

The HSTA and Board of Education agreed to a plan that would use $92 million to eliminate the remaining furlough days. Lingle's proposal is to use $62 million.