Zaji Zajradhara
ZAJI Zajradhara has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Marianas Variety, alleging defamation and demanding $100 million in damages.
Representing himself, Zajradhara named as defendants Younis Art Studio, doing business as Marianas Variety, its president, Amier C. Younis, and this reporter, Bryan Manabat.
Zajradhara wants a bench trial. He accuses Variety of publishing a series of “false and defamatory articles” about him.
“These articles falsely accused plaintiff of criminal activity, dishonesty, and a lack of professional competence, often citing the CNMI Legislature’s ‘persona non-grata’ resolution without proper context. They [defendants] also misrepresented his past arrests and convictions, failing to provide context or exploration of potential rehabilitation. These articles have been published consistently over several years, demonstrating a pattern of malicious intent,” the lawsuit stated.
According to Zajradhara, because Manabat is a member of “primarily imported CW-1 workers of Filipino ancestry or similar grouping of primarily non-American individuals,” the reporter has “a clear conflict of interest that undermines journalistic integrity.”
Zajradhara said these groups include the United Filipino Organization, which he described as “politically motivated” with goals that are directly opposed to his “advocacy for American workers’ rights and fiscal responsibility in the CNMI.”
Zajradhara further alleges that Manabat’s reporting “is part of a malicious campaign by the UFO” to “silence” his advocacy and to “damage” his reputation.
“The [news] articles consistently prioritize official statements, overlooking plaintiffs’ perspective, and utilize loaded language and discriminatory tropes. This pattern suggests a calculated effort to shape public perception in favor of the UFO and against plaintiff. Plaintiff has also presented evidence that defendant Manabat actively ignored his requests to cease and desist from publishing these articles,” the lawsuit stated.
“Plaintiff provides evidence that the negative media coverage from Marianas Variety directly harmed his employment opportunities, as prospective employers explicitly cited the negative media coverage as the reason for not hiring him,” the lawsuit added.
Zajradhara said “the continued publication of defamatory articles” after his requests to cease and desist “can be interpreted as retaliation for exercising his First Amendment rights to criticize the CNMI government and its policies.”
He “specifically highlights how the articles, particularly those focusing on the ‘persona non-grata’ resolution, attempt to discredit his advocacy and portray him as a troublesome individual,” Zajradhara said.
“Plaintiff argues that monetary damages at a later time would not adequately compensate him for the injuries he has sustained, is sustaining, and will continue to sustain as a result of defendants’ actions. The harm to his reputation and the loss of employment opportunities are not easily quantifiable and have caused significant emotional distress. Further, the continued publication of defamatory articles presents a threat to his future livelihood and prevents him from fully exercising his First Amendment rights. The damage to his reputation is ongoing and cannot be fully rectified by financial compensation,” Zajradhara said.
He is requesting the federal court to issue an injunction ordering the defendants to “immediately cease and desist from publishing any further false and defamatory statements” about him.
“This injunction should also require the removal of all existing articles and images related to plaintiff from the publication and online platforms, as well as the issuance of a public retraction and apology for the false and damaging statements made against him,” the lawsuit stated.
Zajradhara is requesting $100 million for “the harm to his reputation, loss of employment opportunities, and emotional distress.”
He is also seeking “punitive damages in an amount to be determined by the court to deter defendants from engaging in similar conduct in the future.”
According to Zajradhara, his lawsuit “is not being presented for an improper purpose, such as to harass, cause unnecessary delay, or needlessly increase the cost of litigation; is supported by existing law or by a nonfrivolous argument for extending, modifying, or reversing existing law; the factual contentions have evidentiary support or, if specifically so identified, will likely have evidentiary support after a reasonable opportunity for further investigation or discovery; and the complaint otherwise complies with the requirements of Rule 11.”
His lawsuit stated that “the events giving rise to the claims occurred over a period of time, beginning on or around 2017-2018 and continuing to the present date.”
He also alleges that Variety “has erased many articles from its website, making it difficult to pinpoint exact dates and times. However, plaintiff intends to rely on archived copies of the articles, as well as other evidence, to establish the timeline of the defendants’ actions.”
According to the CNMI Department of Labor-Administrative Hearing Office in 2019, Zajradhara “has a history of filing many labor complaints.” Recently, he sued Northern Marianas College for $100 million after NMC-Small Business Development Center filed a temporary restraining order in Superior Court against him for harassing SBDC employees.
In March 2019, six House members introduced House Resolution 21-5 “to declare Zaji O. Zajradhara, formerly known as Steven Carl Farmer, a persona non-grata in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”
According to the resolution, the Legislature is “cognizant of the malicious and ill-mannered actions of Zaji O. Zajradhara…in his filings of numerous labor claims against various businesses in the CNMI….”
The resolution stated that Zajradhara “has also expressed a violent and threatening nature to such businesses…and to the employees of the Department of Labor….”
MV statement
In a statement, MV President/Publisher Amier C. Younis said:
“Marianas Variety takes allegations of defamation seriously and is committed to upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity. We are aware of the lawsuit filed by Mr. Zaji Zajradhara and are currently reviewing the allegations in detail.
“We stand by our reporter, Bryan Manabat, and the work he has done for our publication. Our reporting has always aimed to provide accurate and balanced coverage of newsworthy events and public figures. Marianas Variety has never engaged in publishing false information or acted with malicious intent.
“We will respond to the lawsuit through the appropriate legal channels and are confident that the court will find our reporting to be fair and truthful. Marianas Variety remains dedicated to providing our readers with reliable news and upholding the principles of a free and independent press.”
