A Saipan attorney has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Micronesian Legal Services Corp. of discrimination and retaliation after the nonprofit allegedly denied her maternity leave and refused to enroll her newborn in employer‑sponsored health coverage.
Attorney Shelli Neal, who worked as a disaster program manager and attorney, said the organization treated her less favorably than younger, male, and Indigenous employees who were granted maternity or parental leave or allowed to use accrued sick and annual leave for childbirth‑related absences.
According to the complaint filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, Executive Director Lee Pliscou initially approved Neal’s leave request for October through December 2022 but reversed the decision weeks later.
Neal said she completed all work assignments required for the leave but was ultimately denied the ability to use her accrued sick and annual leave and was not paid for the period she had planned to be out. The lawsuit cites examples of other employees — including a 20‑year‑old Indigenous paralegal and a male attorney — who were allowed similar leave without facing the same barriers.
The complaint also claims the organization violated federal employee‑benefit law by refusing to enroll Neal’s newborn in the employer health plan despite her timely request, which she argues violated Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s dependent special‑enrollment protections.
Neal further alleges retaliation, saying she faced adverse treatment after raising concerns in 2021 about alleged sex‑based pay disparities within the organization.
She is seeking back pay, lost benefits, compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and court orders enforcing her child’s health‑coverage rights. The lawsuit demands a jury trial. MLSC has not yet filed a response.
