Ex-CUC staff files discrimination suit vs CUC, officials

A former employee of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is suing it and its officials in federal court for alleged discrimination.

Carlton Stevens, an African-American, is suing CUC, CUC executive director Alan Fletcher, CUC human resources director Frank Cepeda, CUC Waste and Wastewater Division wastewater manager Richard Wasser, and CUC Water and Wastewater manager Paul Raczkowski, for racial discrimination with respect to privileges of employment, and retaliation.

Fletcher, Cepeda, Wasser, and Raczkowski are being sued in their personal capacity.

Stevens accused the agency of discrimination when it allegedly did not renew his contract, gave him a used and inoperable computer, and did not provide him an office, among other complaints.

Stevens, through counsel Pamela Brown Blackburn, is demanding unspecified compensatory damages, courts costs, and attorney’s fees.

Saipan Tribune tried but failed to get comments from the defendants.

Stevens was hired by CUC on Feb. 28, 2011, as direct responsible charge operator for CUC’s Wastewater Division. The employment contract was for a term of two years.

Brown-Blackburn said that throughout his employment, Stevens was the only African-American in a supervisory role at CUC.

The lawyer said that since starting work in February 2011 up to December 2012, Stevens was not provided with an operable computer or office space to perform his job, despite making several requests for such to Wasser and Rackzkowski.

Stevens was given in November 2011 a used, discarded CUC computer only after his rented computer was stolen. In April 2012, he returned the computer to CUC as it could not be repaired.

“During the entire tenure of his employment, defendants provided no office space to Stevens in the main operating headquarters despite providing such offices to similarly situated CUC employees,” Brown-Blackburn said.

The lawyer said CUC employees regularly used their issued vehicles for personal business but not Stevens, who was only allowed to use a CUC truck for which four sets of keys were shared among several employees.

On May 22, 2012, Stevens tried to take medical leave but his medical leave slip was allegedly rejected by Raczkowski due to its format.

In accordance with the employee handbook grievance procedure, Stevens filed a formal grievance against Wasser and Raczkowski and asked for a meeting to resolve the issue.

Brown-Blackburn said no meeting was ever held. Instead, in August 2012, Fletcher e-mailed Stevens stating that Raczkowski’s refusal to approve the medical leave as well as the entire procedure to which he was subjected was inappropriate and promised a meeting.

On Feb. 13, 2013, Stevens received a letter informing him that his position was being advertised and that he could apply and go through the hiring process like any other applicant.