CUC settles ex-employee’s 2 lawsuits

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The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has settled the two lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court and in the Superior Court by Zaji O. Zajradhara over his termination from CUC.

Zajradhara and his counsel, Monica Smith, and CUC executive director Gary P. Camacho and CUC legal counsel James Sirok filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the NMI an agreement for the dismissal of all Zajradhara’s claims with prejudice.

This means that Zajradhara can no longer re-file the case.

The terms of the settlement are being kept confidential.

Sirok informed U.S. District Court for the NMI Magistrate Judge Heather L. Kennedy at the settlement conference that the parties will move to dismiss the separate lawsuit that Zajradhara filed in the Superior Court.

In his lawsuit, Zajradhara alleged that, while employed with CUC, he was subjected to a hostile workplace. CUC has denied the allegations.

Zajradhara originally filed his lawsuit in 2015 against CUC, its then-executive director Allan Fletcher, and 10 unnamed co-defendants for whistleblower/wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The plaintiff said CUC initially hired him as a trade technician/operator in 2012, but was moved into various positions.

He said CUC terminated him in October 2014 on the pretext that he had been caught in possession of illegal drugs, in violation of CUC drug and alcohol policy.

CUC is the remaining defendant in this case.

Ferdie De La Torre | Reporter
Ferdie Ponce de la Torre is a senior reporter of Saipan Tribune. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has covered all news beats in the CNMI. He is a recipient of the CNMI Supreme Court Justice Award. Contact him at ferdie_delatorre@Saipantribune.com

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