Lawsuit charges Cigna with gender discrimination
BOSTON (Reuters) - A veteran Cigna Corp manager sued the health insurer on Thursday, saying it unfairly blocks female employees from promotions and higher-paying jobs.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, seeks $100 million in damages and asks for class-action status.
Bretta Karp, a 14-year-veteran of Cigna, charged in court papers the company last year denied her a promotion because she "came across as too aggressive" in an interview and went on to take away her largest territories after she complained.
The suit contends the Philadelphia-based company uses its employee-evaluation systems to block female employees from advancing into higher-paid positions by forcing their rankings into a bell curve.
"In effect, Cigna bars female employees from better and higher-paying positions which have traditionally been held by male employees," the suit contends.
It charges the company with violating the Civil Rights Act, as well as Massachusetts laws banning gender discrimination.
The Washington law firm representing Karp, Sanford Wittels & Heisler, won a gender discrimination case last year against drugmaker Novartis AG. The Swiss company paid $175 million to settle that case after a jury awarded $250 million in damages.
A Cigna spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking a comment.
Cigna shares were up 2 percent at $43.35 amid a broad rally in U.S. stocks.
The case is Karp v. Cigna Healthcare, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, No. 11-10361.
(Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Andre Grenon)
