Another former employee of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC has filed a complaint against the casino investor in the U.S. District Court for the NMI.<\/p>\n
Xiao Rongkun, a construction engineer with a disability, has filed a lawsuit against the casino investor alleging wrongful termination and retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.<\/p>\n
Xiao, through Collin Thompson, is asking the court for a jury trial in his complaint and is seeking full back pay, benefits, and reinstatement to a position he would have obtained in the absence of discrimination or, in the alternative, front pay.<\/p>\n
In addition, Xiao wants the court to award him an undetermined amount of damages and future economic and non-economic losses as well as reasonable attorney\u2019s fees and costs. <\/p>\n
Last Nov. 17, 2021, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued Xiao a right to sue pursuant to the discrimination charges he filed against IPI. <\/p>\n
\u201cXiao exhausted all available administrative remedies in accord with the law prior to instituting this civil action,\u201d the lawyer stated. <\/p>\n
According to the complaint Xiao was employed by IPI and worked as a site engineer at the hotel and casino project in Garapan on or about March 17, 2016.<\/p>\n
In November 2018, he severely injured his spine, causing paralysis. He suffered a permanent disability and now relies on a wheelchair for mobility. <\/p>\n
However, despite his disability, Xiao remained willing and able to perform the essential functions of his job with IPI.<\/p>\n
In January 2020, Xiao requested accommodation from IPI based on the recommendation of his doctors but IPI allegedly refused to provide any accommodation.<\/p>\n
Instead, Thompson said, IPI retaliated against Xiao because of his disability by offering him a take-it-or-leave-it demotion. \u201cThe demotion included a reduced salary to less than half his previous pay. Xiao did not accept IPI\u2019s proposal. IPI then targeted Xiao for termination,\u201d Thompson said.<\/p>\n
Then, on March 30, 2020, Xiao alleges that in retaliation for his requested accommodation and\/or because his disability, IPI placed him on furlough, then hired an \u201cable-bodied\u201d person to take his job. <\/p>\n
\u201cIPI abandoned Xiao and its obligations under federal law,\u201d Thompson stated.<\/p>\n
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Thompson argued, Xiao is a qualified individual with a disability. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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