CRC Insurance Services has been hit with a $50 million sexualharassment suit from a former managing director who claims thewholesale brokerage firm retaliated against her after shecomplained of a fellow manager's inappropriate behavior.

Constance Callan, in court papers filed last month in SuperiorCourt, Central District of Los Angeles, accused CRC of suspendingher in retaliation for numerous complaints against Chris Houska,also a managing director at CRC in California with Ms. Callan, foroffensive comments and behavior of a sexual nature.

Ms. Callan claims that between 2005–when Mr. Houska joined CRC'soperations in the acquisition of Sterling West–and her suspensionon May 12 of this year, she made a series of verbal and writtencomplaints to Tom Curtain, CRC's chairman and chief executiveofficer, about Mr. Houska's conduct on a number of occasions.

Mr. Houska is alleged to have used abusive and demeaninglanguage to Ms. Callan and other female employees. He is alsoaccused of perform acts of a sexually suggestive nature that Ms.Callan found offensive.

The document suggests that the complaints and behavior were notreported to BB&T management, and Ms. Callan was warned by CRCmanagement not to do so. CRC is a subsidiary of Winston-Salem,N.C.-based BB&T Corp.

In May, when Ms. Callan was suspended and audited, she claimedthat at no time was she accused of wrongdoing, and that whilesuspended, her book of business was transferred to Mr. Houska.

A spokeswoman for BB&T said it is the company's policy notto comment on ongoing litigation. She said both BB&T and CRC dohave policies in place to deal with harassment issues in theworkplace.

Attorney Alan Kossoff, of the law firm Kinsella Weitzman IserKump & Aldisert, LLP, in Santa Monica, Calif., said yesterdayin an e-mail that there has been no response from BB&T or CRCto the suit. He added that no trial date has been set.