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IPI, mother company ordered to present corporate rep
The federal court has ordered Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC and its mother company, Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., to present a corporate representative at a motion hearing tomorrow, Thursday, in connection with a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit.
In an order on Monday, U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona required the corporate representative to appear at the hearing because no substitute counsel has made an appearance for IPI and IPIHL in the EEOC lawsuit. The representative may appear in person or telephonically.
The judge ordered attorney Kelley Butcher to ensure her clients, IPI and IPIHL, are notified of this obligation and provide the dial-in instructions.
Butcher, who is the attorney of record for IPI and IPIHL, earlier filed a motion to withdraw as defendants’ counsel. EEOC filed an opposition and a hearing about the motion is currently set for tomorrow at 8:30am.
IPI has not yet named a replacement for Butcher in that case.
The EEOC is suing IPI for allegedly subjecting some female VIP service hosts to unwelcome physical and verbal sexual harassment by IPI casino’s male patrons.
IPI has denied the allegations.
Last Thursday, Commonwealth Casino Commission audit manager/acting executive director Charlie O. Atalig disclosed that CCC had received a subpoena from the District Court at the request of EEOC to get voluminous records or documents that IPI had submitted to CCC.
At CCC’s monthly board meeting, Atalig said that CCC’s legal counsel received the subpoena last June 19. However, he said, their legal counsel was able to narrow the scope to information germane to the case. He said the commission was able to gather and submit all the documents.
Because no substitute counsel has made an appearance in this case, the court orders defendants to present a corporate representative at the Aug. 6 hearing.
