Court lifts lien on Lockie Johnson

The Daily Herald reports today that the Court of First Instance in St. Maarten on Friday ordered University of St. Eustatius School of Medicine (USESOM) in Cole Bay to lift liens placed on the liquid assets of its former employee Lockie Jayne Johnson-McGehee. The medical school had put a lien on Johnson’s bank accounts and salary at University of Saba School of Medicine to the amount of US $56,559 on July 11

In a regular court procedure, the Judge decided previously that the university’s claim on Johnson was unfounded,
which was reason for Johnson to request the Court to lift the lien.

The medical school appealed the decision, as it wanted to keep the lien in place in case the Court would rule in its favour in the appeal case.

Johnson said during the November 21 hearing in the injunction, that her husband and her were hit hard by the liens, and that USESOM’s claims were incorrect. The Johnsons said they were investing their savings and a pension in a restaurant on Saba.

The liens put the project in jeopardy, as they currently have to live off no more than $400 per month.

The university is claiming the money from Johnson, because she allegedly broke the terms of her contract unilaterally. Johnson, who had been employed with USESOM for seven months, resigned last year for what she said were urgent reasons. She currently is working for the Medical School in Saba.

The Court on Friday arrived at the same conclusion as the Judge had in the extensive court case, and also found that USESOM’s claim was unsubstantiated. The Judge also stated that the Johnsons’ rights to sustain themselves
should weigh higher than USESOM’s rights, adding that the medical school seemed to have sufficient other ways to secure its claims.