10 guards suing Management & Training Corp.

Ten former security guards at Willacy County Regional Detention Facility have filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Management & Training Corp. of Centerville, Utah, and two company officials claiming they were fired for refusing to make false statements.

Peter Zavaletta, the attorney for 10 of the 11 guards who were fired, said his clients lost their jobs for refusing to sign statements saying other guards were gambling while on duty.

"None of my clients were gambling and when they refused to sign statements accusing each other of gambling, they were terminated," he said.

Zavaletta said he doesn’t know who the 11th guard is or who his attorney is, but was told by MTC there is an 11th guard who was fired.

None of the guards had ever been disciplined and several had been promoted to supervisory positions at the privately owned and operated prison, the lawsuit states.

One of the plaintiffs, Santos Talavares, graduated from the University of Texas- Pan American in Edinburg in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, the lawsuit states.

Another plaintiff, Robert Villarreal Jr., had been promoted to sergeant and then to shift lieutenant, Nicholas Catache had been promoted to sergeant, Alberto Najera had been promoted to lieutenant and earlier this year was named ‘Supervisor of the Year,’ Rene Fonseca Jr. is a decorated veteran who had served in Iraq before his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in 2006, the lawsuit states.

"We don’t comment on ongoing litigation," Carl Stuart, spokesman for Management & Training Corp., said on Friday.

The lawsuit seeks back pay, future pay and compensation for mental anguish, and punitive damages for what the lawsuit alleges was "intentional, unlawful employment practices."