INDIGENOUS activist Liana S. Hofschneider has accused Coral Ocean Resort Manager Calvin Park of pushing her to the ground twice.
Represented by attorney Anthony Aguon, she filed a civil complaint against Park in Superior Court on Dec. 3, 2023.
Her lawsuit named Park and Coral Ocean Resort as defendants in an incident that she said occurred two years ago.
The lawsuit is requesting the court to award the plaintiff an undetermined amount of damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief.
Hofschneider sued Park for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence.
She also alleged negligence on the part of Coral Ocean Resort.
Background
According to the complaint, Hofschneider and her husband Richard visited Coral Ocean Beach on Dec. 4, 2021.
The two drove to the beach, found a vacant pavilion, and sat down to have some breakfast and enjoy the view.
To the west, the couple noticed a heavy equipment vehicle with an excavator loaded in the back that was parked along the coastline.
Two workers unloaded the excavator and appeared to begin operating the equipment and excavating the ground.
The Hofschneiders were concerned about conducting earthmoving activities on a historic site. They were also concerned about “the erosion that would run off into the ocean from those earthmoving activities, since it was only 50 feet away from the coastline and there were no signs, fences, or silt barriers around the excavation site.”
They said they also noticed underground IT&E fiber optic cable that ran nearby where the heavy equipment was excavating.
Richard (not James as earlier stated) Hofschneider approached the excavation site to express his concern and verify whether the excavation was properly permitted.
The workers stopped digging the ground and responded that Coral Ocean Resort had the permits and that they would call the office to confirm.
Richard Hofschneider thanked them and returned to the pavilion with his wife.
“Without any further word, the Hofschneider couple heard the equipment turned back on again and the workers resumed the earthmoving activities.
“This time, it was Liana who went to the excavation site, expressed her concerns to the workers, and renewed the request to verify permitting for their earthmoving activities.
“The workers stated that the manager had the permits up at the Coral Ocean Resort office and that they would get a copy to show her.
“As she made her way back to the pavilion, two employees wearing COR uniforms sped toward her in a golf cart.
“One of them, Calvin Eunpyung Park, identified himself as the person in charge of the area and the excavation.”
According to the lawsuit, “Park proceeded to speak aggressively and harass Liana, calling her names, dismissing her concerns, and threatening to call the police on her for inquiring about the excavation permits. Park then called the police to report Liana,” who returned to the pavilion and called the police to report the incident as well.
“In clear view of the Hofschneiders, Park cut off the approaching police car before it got to the Coral Ocean Bean pavilion,” the lawsuit stated.
“Park spoke to the police in the car, which then turned around and left the area without speaking to the Hofschneiders.
“Without resolution of the permitting issue, the Hofschneiders heard the heavy equipment start up again and the workers resumed their earthmoving activities.
“Liana immediately proceeded to the heavy equipment operators in order to reiterate her concerns with them directly.
“Without warning, Park ran right in front of Liana, and blocked her, asking, ‘Where are you going?’
“Liana responded that she was going to talk to the equipment operators, to which Park replied…forcefully, ‘No.’”
Park then pushed Liana causing her to lose her balance, the lawsuit added.
“Shocked by Park’s actions, Liana screamed, and then braced herself and tried to regain her balance. Before she could, Park pushed Liana again with so much force that it exacerbated a prior injury in her knees. She screamed again in anguish and was frozen in pain.
“Park did not offer any assistance to Liana, and instead got back in his golf cart and drove away to the golf course,” the lawsuit stated.
It added that Liana Hofschneider is “a staunch advocate of indigenous rights and is the president of Matua, a local non-profit organization dedicated to Native Chamorro Advancement. This includes the preservation of traditional and historical lands, coasts, and oceans.”
Coral Ocean Beach, the lawsuit stated, is “a culturally and historically sensitive area as it was an essential part of the Battle of Saipan during WWII in 1944; and the Chamorro-Spanish War in the 1160s; and still hosts a number of ancient relics.”
Variety was unable to get a comment from Park.
