Previous Story
Ex-employee seeks over $20M judgment against IPI
A former Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC employee who had sued IPI for allegedly terminating him for complaining about IPI’s alleged discriminatory hiring practices is now asking the court to grant him a default judgment of over $20 million.
Joshua Gray, who previously sued IPI on the grounds of wrongful termination in violation of public policy (immigration violations), wrongful failure to hire, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, has filed a motion for default judgment in the amount of over $20 million.
Gray, through his lawyer, Bruce Berline, claims that he is entitled to compensatory damages of back pay, front pay, lost future earnings/reputational harm, emotional distress, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorneys’ fees and costs.
“[Gray] requests back pay damages of $464,083.00, front pay damages of $1,475,685.00, [and] emotional distress damages of $2 million,” he said.
In addition, Berline asks that the court grant his client punitive damages that is seven times the amount of compensatory damages he is asking for. That’s roughly $27,578,376.
Berline said the damages sought against IPI is necessary to hopefully deter the company from further practicing racial and ethnic discrimination in the future.
“Anything short of [this] simply will not convey to IPI that racial discrimination is an ‘especially reprehensible harm’ and that freedom from such discrimination is ‘a fundamental human right’ that this country fought its bloodiest war to protect. Plaintiff suggests that a punitive damage award in the ratio of 7:1 is the minimum required to at least have some hope of deterring future illegal behavior by IPI,” said Berline.
U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona Manglona is set to hear the motion for default judgment against IPI on Nov. 17 at 11am.
