Former employees sue MCC

Four former employees of Mesalands Community College filed lawsuits last week against the college’s board of trustees after they said they were fired from their positions.

Natalie Gillard, former vice president of academic affairs, and Milan Rasic, former director of athletics, health and wellness, each filed the suits on May 9 in Tucumcari district court.

One day later, Rose Brito, a former administrative assistant for Gillard, and Donna Garcia, a former professor of sociology and social work, filed their lawsuits.

The Gilpin Law Firm in Albuquerque filed the suits on their behalf.

Gillard stated in her lawsuit she was terminated from her position in May 2022, which would have been during the tenure of then-Mesalands President Gregg Busch. He was not specifically named in the filing or in the other lawsuits.

Rasic’s lawsuit didn’t state the date of his firing, but he had been hired by Busch early in his tenure.

The firings of Brito and Garcia also would have occurred during Busch’s time as president.

Busch resigned in March after he was accused of ignoring warnings of Mesalands’ declining financial condition and threatening to fire employees if they revealed the state had placed the college under fiscal oversight.

Busch and his wife, Workforce Development director Mary Beth Busch, left Tucumcari shortly after the executive team, staff and faculty submitted no-confidence votes against him in early February.

Gillard, who worked at the college from 1994 to May 2022, states she was terminated from her position and that she was “humiliated and subjected to a hostile work environment.”

Gillard’s suit accuses the college of sex discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, racial discrimination (Gillard is White) and failure of due process and that she was not compensated under the state’s Whistleblower Protection Act.

The Quay County Sun in May 2022 reported Gillard had retired from the college. Gillard told a Sun reporter during a brief interview her retirement had been planned “for some time” after her husband had moved to Albuquerque.

Jim Streetman, board of trustees chairman at the time, announced Gillard’s retirement during a May 2022 board meeting. Joshua McVey, the college’s chief communications officer, stated Gillard’s retirement was effective immediately the night of the board meeting. McVey said there was no letter of resignation, and she submitted her retirement form through the state.

An email to Gilpin Law Firm principal Donald G. Gilpin, asking to explain the discrepancy, was not answered.

Gillard requests compensatory damages “for all earnings she would have received but for Defendant’s discriminatory and retaliatory treatment.” She also requests damages “her her mental anguish and humiliation” and attorney’s costs and fees.

Rasic stated his filing he received a 96 out of 100 job-evaluation score two months before he was presented with a letter of termination after being called into the president’s office.

Rasic, who was 52 at the time of his firing, alleged age discrimination. He stated he was replaced “by a much younger man” and the college subjected him to “a hostile work environment.”

It also alleges retaliation “after reporting overpayment and non-compliance issues by subjecting him to an accelerating lack of access to administrative resources.”

It alleges a lack of due process, including a denial of a termination interview and without notice of a right to appeal, no advisory of unpaid wages, was not given his pay stubs, was refused calculation of unpaid vacation time and was denied insurance coverage.

Rasic requests the court to order the board of trustees to compensate him for lost wages, lost benefit, emotional stress, consequential damages and special damages “because of Defendant’s wrongful conduct.” He also seeks double damages for wages and a promotion with security along with attorney’s fees and costs.

Brito stated she worked for the college from January 2018 until her termination in May 2022.

Stating she was “humiliated and subjected a hostile work environment,” Brito alleges sex discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, racial discrimination and failure of due process.

Garcia said she worked at the college from January 2009 to her termination on May 31, 2022.

She also stated she was “humiliated and subjected a hostile work environment” and alleges sex discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, racial discrimination and failure of due process.

Brito and Garcia request compensation for the time and benefit they would have earned, plus attorney fees and costs.

Each of the lawsuit plaintiffs demand a jury trial.

Asked to comment about the lawsuits, McVey stated in an email Friday: “Neither the College nor the Board of Trustees have comment on pending litigation.”