Aon Sexual Harassment Suit Expands

By Mark E. Ruquet

NU Online News Service, May 12, 10:04 a.m. EDT ? A suit claiming women working for Combined Insurance were subject to wide-spread sexual harassment and economic discrimination has grown to more than 128 plaintiffs, attorneys said.

The action against the subsidiary of insurance broker Aon originally began with 10 plaintiffs in December of 2001. It was filed by the Chicago-based Meites, Mulder, Burger & Mollica and Peoria, Ill.-based Benassi & Benassi, law firms.

According to the women's complaint, they suffered abuse and discrimination at the hands of male colleagues and managers. Aon denied the accusations.

The suit, subsequently re-filed in U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, alleges that male managers propositioned women employees, groped and sexually attacked them. According to the suit, a woman was gang raped during a sales conference.

The plaintiffs also allege they suffered economic harm from the practices because they were denied promotions and suffer a wide differential in compensation for the same positions.

The suit alleges that women, who comprise 27 percent of the underwriter's Seventh Essential Enhanced Sales Force, selling health, disability and accident insurance, has never had a divisional manager, and "less than a handful of female regional managers." The plaintiff's attorneys say two of these regional managers are involved in the suit.

The suit involves both former and current employees in six divisions and 39 states.

Al Orendorff, public relations director for Chicago-based Aon, said, "Combined is absolutely dedicated to maintaining a diverse, harassment-free workplace, and will not tolerate conduct inconsistent with this policy.

"The allegations made public by the plaintiff's attorneys are self-serving and baseless. They will be refuted in court where this dispute belongs, and not in the press."

Mr. Orendorff told National Underwriter that he could not comment further due to pending litigation.

A spokesman for the law firms said no court date or figure for monetary damage award has been set.

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Aon Sexual Harassment Suit Expands

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