Black women win $20M lawsuit against insurance Co. for racial discrimination

(Black News via Defender News Service) — Twenty-one former employees of Jackson National Life Insurance in Denver and Nashville, mostly Black women, have recently won a $20.5 million lawsuit against the company after claiming they were discriminated against in their workplace. The settlement is considered the largest ever reached in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission‘s Denver and Phoenix office.

In the lawsuit, the Black employees claimed they were passed up for promotions and paid less than their white colleagues although they were the top performers in their divisions. They also allegedly endured a hostile work environment, including sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

According to The Denver Post, the complainants stated that the company retaliated against those who stood up against the abuse. According to the complaint, the company even fired a vice president, who is white, for refusing to give a negative evaluation to two Black employees who complained.

Jackson National Life Insurance is now under a four-year consent decree and is ordered to pay $20.5 million in attorney fees, damages, and costs. About $15 million of it will go to the 21 claimants, wherein 13 are Black employees, seven are white women, and one is the white vice president who was fired. The $5 million will go to attorney fees and costs.

A spokesman for the company said they have agreed to settle the lawsuit to be able to “move forward.”

“While there has been no finding by a court or jury that Jackson violated any laws, we are humbled and recognize that the associates who made claims in this case believe they were not treated fairly or in a way that aligns with Jackson’s core values,” spokesman Patrick Rich said. “This is concerning to us, as it is not consistent with who we strive to be.”

This article originally published in the January 20, 2019 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.