by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - Former Port Authority marketing administrator Bernadette Sterne Meno intends to file an appeal of her termination with the Civil Service Commission. Meno's attorney, Curtis Van De Veld, says his client will also file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, federal Department of Health and human services relative to the Port's disclosure of her medical information.

Van De Veld says his client slipped and fell in the port bathroom in September of last year and received medical attention for injuries several months later. Upon the advice of an orthopedic surgeon referred to Meno by the Port, she was scheduled to undergo surgery in Hawaii in October until her travel authorization. which included some $60,000 in medical expenses was flagged by Adelup.

"All of this information has been within the knowledge of the Port Authority for more than 60 days and so if it's been in their knowledge for 60 days then management knew or should have known all of the reasons that they included in their justification for termination," he explained.

Attorney Van De Veld says another Port worker inputted a per diem rate that was triple the regular rate but that his client had no knowledge or involvement in that action. Additionally he says it is unclear why his client was fired but she intends to pursue all legal remedies available to her to get her job back and go after the port for disclosing her medical information. One other terminated Port worker, Frances Arriola, filed a notice of appeal with the CSC.