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EEOC seeks new trial in its sexual harassment lawsuit
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Posted on Jan 19 2012
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Reporter
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is seeking a new jury trial in its sexual harassment lawsuit against the owners of Saipan Grand Hotel that it had accused of subjecting a female employee to a sexually hostile work environment.
In a motion for a new trial filed yesterday in district court, EEOC trial attorney Derek W. Li asserted that Asia Pacific Hotels Inc. and Tan Holdings Corp.’s late disclosure of Melinda Javier as a trial witness substantially interfered with the EEOC’s fair presentation of its case.
Li said that five days before trial and more than 10 months after the fact-discovery cutoff, the defendants notified the EEOC that they planned to call Javier as a witness to impeach the singer, Michelle Bunoan.
Javier had testified during the trial that she saw Bunoan and her alleged harasser, former Grand Hotel restaurant manager Roberto “Tom” Alegre, hugging each other in two separate occasions.
The defendants have yet to respond to the motion.
On Dec. 200, 2011, the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Asia Pacific and Tan Holdings.
Alegre, who is now based in the Philippines, insists that he had a consensual relationship with Bunoan.
