By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A CERTIFIED public accountant testified in federal court yesterday that former Hopwood teacher Lisa Black is entitled to receive back wages in the amount of $41,966.66.
Black has sued the Public School System and Jim Brewer, former principal of Hopwood Jr. High School for wrongful termination.
Roger D. Slater told the court that he was hired by Black’s counsels, Michael Dotts and George Hasselback, to determine how much in wages she was entitled to if her employment contract with PSS had not been terminated.
Slater said he reviewed Black’s forms and calculated that she would have ben entitled to receive some $66,511.99 in wages if she had continued with her employment.
Slater said Black is entitled to receive a net amount of $41,966.66 if medication expenses in the amount of $24,545.33 are deducted.
Heather Kennedy, counsel for the defendants, asked Slater how much is he being paid for calculating Black’s back wages.
Slater said he is being paid $150 per hour.
Slater is managing partner for Grant Thornton LLP, an accounting and management consultant firm on Guam and in Micronesia.
Slater said he is a certified accounting expert and an economic damage expert.
Another teacher from Hopwood Jr. High School, Felisa Brel, took the witness stand yesterday and testified that Black was a great teacher.
Brel and Slater were the witnesses that Dotts and Hasselback presented yesterday.
Designated Presiding Judge Terry J. Hatter dismissed the eight jurors after the testimony of Slater and ordered them to come back today for the continuation of the jury trial.
Dotts and Hasselback’s next witness will be Karen Borja, the principal of Marianas High School who offered Black a job at MHS when she learned that Black’s contract at Hopwood was terminated.
Black sued the defendants in 2005 for wrongful discharge and violation of public policy, violation of civil rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of contract.