Jane Quitugua, through attorney Stephen Woodruff, said a formal settlement demand was made in late December, but there was still no response from the defendant.
In the interim, Woodruff said Palms Resort Saipan has settled another lawsuit brought by another employee.
“Given the trauma currently being experienced by [Quitugua] and her family, undersigned counsel has not considered it appropriate to meet with plaintiff and push the case forward,” said Woodruff, referring to the over month-long disappearance of the Luhk sisters.
Quitugua is the girls’ step-grandmother.
Quitugua “would need concentration and clear thinking, mental and psychological demands undersigned counsel does not believe it would be reasonable to make upon plaintiff as this time,” Woodruff added.
Quitugua sued Micronesian Resort Inc., which did business as Palms Resort Saipan, for unlawful discrimination on account of sex.
An employee for 11 years, Quitugua said her termination of employment was “an unlawful, discriminatory manner on a pretext of implementing organizational and staffing changes.”
Michael Dotts, the defendant’s lawyer, said Quitugua was an “at-will employee,” and was properly terminated in accordance with that status.
He said in Jan. 2009, the hotel operations were restructured and Quitugua’s “position was eliminated.”
She was not replaced in Jan. 2009, “but instead, her duties were reassigned,” Dotts said.
On Oct. 11, 2010, Dotts said all hotel operations ceased and the hotel was closed.
“[Quitugua] therefore cannot claim damages beyond when her position would have been eliminated had she not been terminated in Jan. 2009,” Dotts said.
