By Bryan Manabat
bryan@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
THE District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands has permanently dismissed with prejudice the wage dispute between IT technician Christopher Lilles and J.C. Tenorio Enterprises Inc. following a settlement agreement finalized in December 2025.
Lilles, who worked as an IT technician for JCT, alleged the company violated provisions of the 2018 Workforce Act by failing to pay the mandated minimum wage and required increases. He first filed suit on Nov. 29, 2022 (Case No. 1:22-cv-00017), and later submitted a related complaint on Oct. 28, 2024.
His complaints sought compensatory damages for unpaid wages, punitive damages for alleged noncompliance, declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as claims for breach of contract and violation of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
JCT moved to dismiss, and Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona partially granted the motions, allowing Lilles to amend certain claims.
Settlement and enforcement
On May 6, 2025, both parties reached a “global settlement” in open court. When Lilles later refused to sign the written agreement, Judge Manglona ruled the oral agreement made under oath was binding, citing Ninth Circuit precedent in Doi v. Halekulani Corp. She imposed $2,000 in sanctions against Lilles for bad-faith delays.
Final court action
On Dec. 12, 2025, the parties filed a stipulated dismissal with prejudice, confirming each side would bear its own attorney’s fees and costs. The court retained jurisdiction to enforce the settlement. Three days later, Judge Manglona issued an order approving the stipulation and officially closing the case.
“The Court APPROVES the Parties’ Stipulated Dismissal with Prejudice and DISMISSES WITH PREJUDICE this action, subject to the Court retaining jurisdiction to enforce the Parties’ settlement agreement in this matter,” she wrote.
She added: “Where, as here, the settling parties seek to provide for the district court to retain jurisdiction over enforcement of the settlement agreement as a condition of dismissal, a court order…is necessary.”
The exact settlement amount remains sealed.
Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
