THE Saipan Mayor’s Office on Monday issued a statement in response to the recent resignation of grant writer Maryann Borja, who alleges that she was sexually harassed in the workplace.
“Let me be very clear,” said the mayor’s Chief of Staff Priscilla Iakopo; “the mayor’s office does not condone nor tolerate sexual harassment in the workplace, or any form of harassment for that matter, wherever they may occur.”
Iakopo said the mayor’s office has a “zero-tolerance” policy against sexual harassment in the office.
“We strive each and every day to ensure a safe working environment for all our employees,” Iakopo said. “Our [human resources] office works tirelessly, day-in and day-out, to ensure that our work environment is one that is free from any harassment, intimidation, or discrimination.”
In a letter to the mayor’s Human Resource Director Juannette Sablan, Borja stated that she had been subjected to unwanted advances, vulgar jokes and inappropriate comments on numerous occasions.
She said on Sept. 14, she submitted a written complaint and a verbal report to Sablan regarding the harassment but had not received a response about her grievance.
According to Iakopo, “Because it is our understanding that Ms. [Borja] has submitted her complaint to the appropriate agencies for investigation, we cannot comment any further on this matter.”
