Zaji Zajradhara
SUPERIOR Court Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo has granted Northern Marianas College’s request for a preliminary injunction against Zaji Zajradhara to restrain, enjoin and prohibit him from communicating with Small Business Development Center employees by any method for any reason.
Zajradhara is also restrained and prohibited from coming within 500 yards of the SBDC or an SBDC event.
“This preliminary injunction is to remain in effect until the conclusion of NMC’s action against Zaji Zajradhara at trial,” Judge Govendo added in an order issued on May 9.
The CNMI SBDC is located at NMC and is partially funded by a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Small Business Administration and the college. The SBDC primarily provides counseling services to small businesses and sponsors events.
It was NMC, through attorney Mark Scoggins, that sought a temporary restraining order against Zajradhara for harassing SBDC employees.
NMC also sued Zajradhara for undetermined damages to be proven at trial.
NMC asked the court for a TRO and an eventual permanent injunction restraining Zajradhara from communicating with the SBDC or its employees by any method and for any reason.
Judge Govendo granted the TRO, which remained in effect until April 18. The judge later extended it to May 2, 2024.
The complaint
In 2022, Zajradhara began reaching out to the SBDC for counseling services and attempted to register for events. When staff members of the SBDC informed Zajradhara that they were not able to help him in the way that he requested, Zajradhara’s behavior became abusive toward the employees, and he began accusing them of corruption, the NMC complaint stated.
On Jan. 30, 2023, NMC sent a letter to Zajradhara, informing him that he needed to cease and desist his harassment of the SBDC and that he was not welcome at a federal contracting training that the SBDC was hosting at the Crowne Plaza hotel on Jan. 31, 2023. But Zajradhara appeared at the event where his behavior was disruptive. However, the Department of Public Safety declined to remove him as the SBDC, not the hotel, was asking for his removal.
SBDC staff members did not allow him to enter the event, but Zajradhara sat outside in a chair.
He again tried to register for SBDC events in March and July of 2023 and in January of 2024. He was denied registration every time.
According to the complaint, Zajradhara made phone calls that were threatening and demeaning to NMC-SBDC employees, and sent them threatening emails laced with expletives.
NMC-SBDC employees said Zajradhara also called them repeatedly. Mercilynn Palec said Zajradhara called her five times in one day when she was not able to meet his demands. Nadine Deleon Guerrero said Zajradhara yelled at her because she would not write a recommendation letter for a loan for him. Adelpha Magofna said he called her four times in one day on Jan. 24, 2023, and in each successive phone call he was ruder and more aggressive.
Magofna said Zajradhara called her again on March 14, 2024, and was so loud while speaking to her on the phone that her husband could hear Zajradhara from across the room and inquired to whom she was speaking.
‘Quiet, bro!’
In his latest order, Judge Govendo noted that during court proceedings Zajradhara “demonstrated behavior not becoming for the courtroom, acting in an aggressive and rude manner.”
For example, when Deleon Guerrero was called to the stand to testify, Zajradhara exclaimed “Yes!” and rubbed his hands together.
Zajradhara also told the judge presiding over the matter, “Quiet, bro!”
In federal court, Zajradhara has filed a lawsuit against NMC demanding $100 million in damages.
Representing himself, Zajradhara alleges civil rights violations, denial of access to federally funded programs, public humiliation, mental anguish, pain and suffering, false allegations/slander, attempted false arrest, extortionist threats, and retaliation.
