By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A Former Northern Marianas College student teacher coordinator sued NMC for age discrimination.
Geri L. Willis, who is now the director of the Public School System’s troops-to-teachers program filed the complaint in federal court through her attorney, Colin M. Thompson.
Also named as defendants were individuals named only “Does 1 to 5.”
These unidentified defendants, according to the complaint, “aided or abetted, received the benefits of, or participated with the other defendants, in the wrongful acts and course of conduct or otherwise caused the damages” sought by Willis.
According to the complaint, Willis has also filed charges of discrimination with the Equal Opportunity Commission, alleging violations of age discrimination rules by NMC.
Her complaint stated that since at least Aug, 2005, NMC has engaged in unlawful practices which included subjecting the plaintiff to discrimination on the basis of her age by depriving her of employment benefits given to other employees.
Willis, her complaint stated, was engaged in, or engaging in, an activity protected under federal law.
NMC, the complaint added, subjected Willis to an adverse employment action. The plaintiff was “discharged or the defendant failed to hire her.”
Her engaging in a protected activity was the cause for NMC to subject Willis to the adverse employment action, her complaint stated.
What this “protected activity” was was not mentioned.
The complaint stated that NMC’s retaliatory action was “done with malice or reckless indifference to the federally protected rights of the plaintiff who was discriminated against on the basis of her age.”
Willis is requesting a jury trial and seeks a permanent injunction enjoining NMC from engaging in discrimination on the basis of age and any other employment practice which discriminates in violation of the law.
She is also seeking appropriate back pay with pre-judgment interest in amounts to be determined at trial; compensation for past and future pecuniary losses, including medical expenses not paid by her former employer in amounts to be determined at trial; punitive damages for NMC’s “malicious and reckless conduct” in amounts to be determined at trial; attorney’s fees and cost of suit; and for other relief.