Associate Justice Alexandra F. Foster on December 15 issued a judgment in favor of Jerome Megreos, Herman Blaluk and Stephaliza Ngirameong.
Foster in her order stated that the court finds that Melekeok State government and Governor Kodep breached an implied contract when they terminated the plaintiffs for no cause and at a time when no programming had been cut.
However Foster said that the court did not find that the employees were terminated on the grounds of retaliation.
Foster in her order stated that the court “finds that plaintiffs have not proven retaliatory termination or a violation of their free speech rights.”
The court in finding that there was indeed a breach of contract between defendants and plaintiffs,ordered the State government and Gov. Kodep to pay the plaintiffs with damages in the amount of $2, 636.88 to be paid to Blaluk and $17, 118.06 to Ngirameong and Megreos with $6, 315.68.
The court also ordered that defendants must issue a public acknowledgement over radio and newspaper and send it to the recipients of Kodep’s letter dated June 27, 2008 and place a copy of this acknowledgment in plaintiffs’ personnel files.
Kodep and the State government have one year from the filing of this judgment and decision to pay the damages.
Kodep and the State government have until “February 1, 2 and 10 to have this notice properly disseminated and filed” the Justice order stated.
The order added that if both parties challenged the court’s decision, defendants will have six months from issuance of the Appellate Division’s affirmance to pay the monetary damages and disseminate and file the notice of acknowledgments.
The three former employees of Melekeok State government sued the government and Kodep for wrongful termination after they were terminated in June 30, 2008.
The plaintiffs alleged in their complaint that they were terminated because they were involved in the investigation of Kodep’s alleged misuse of government funds.
Ngirameong worked for almost 25 years as Executive Secretary.
Megreos was employed at the Melekeok State Government from January 1991 to June 2008 while Blaluk was employed in the same office from October 1999 to June 2008.
Blaluk and Megreos claimed in their complaints that they were terminated because they supported Kodep’s rival in the previous election and for cooperating with a criminal investigation against Kodep.
