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Press Release 09-28-2010

EEOC Suit Claims Chubb Insurance Refused to Promote Asian Employee Because of Race

Federal Agency Also Charges Illegal Retaliation Against Employee Who Filed EEOC Charge

MILWAUKEE – Chubb & Son, a property and casualty insurance giant, unlawfully refused to consider an Asian employee in its Milwaukee underwriting office for promotions based on her race, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today. The suit further asserted that Chubb illegally retaliated against the employee, Kong Chee Vang, for filing a discrimination charge with EEOC, and she was again passed over for job openings as a result.

The case, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Federal Insurance Company, d/b/a Chubb & Son, Case No. 10-c-0849 (E.D. Wis.), has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman. It will be litigated by attorneys in the EEOC's Milwaukee Area Office.

"This case is about fairness to those, like Ms. Vang, who seek promotion and don't get considered because of their race," said John Hendrickson, regional attorney for the Chicago District Office, which oversees the agency's Milwaukee operations. "We hope this case demonstrates that business decisions based on negative racial assumptions or stereotypes are wrong and illegal. And reacting negatively to someone who speaks up about such prejudice is just compounding the problem. The EEOC expects employers to root out this sort of conduct, but if they do not, we will take appropriate action in court."

Jean P. Kamp, EEOC associate regional attorney in Milwaukee, added, "Retaliation is a special concern of the EEOC. We depend on discrimination victims to bring charges, and the law protects them from negative reactions in the workplace when they speak up. That's one of the main issues at the heart of this lawsuit."

The EEOC's Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.

The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.