Tag Archives: sexual assault

Fallout for Globe Life, Arias Organization, after Insider.com article

Two weeks after Insider.com published my story about sexual assault, drug use and violence at a top insurance agency of Globe Life American Income Division, the story has been cited in multiple court filings in a civil suit. A spokesperson for the Texas Rangers, the Major League Baseball team that plays on Globe Life Field, said the Rangers are “aware” of the allegations against Globe’s Arias Organization. The Feb. 24 story depicted a toxic workplace at Arias Organization, based in Wexford, Pennsylvania.

Two law firms are looking into the possibility of shareholder lawsuits against Globe Life, a company traded on the New York Stock Exchange. And Renee Zinsky, a former Arias agent and the plaintiff in the explosive sexual-harassment and sexual assault lawsuit, said more than a dozen potential witnesses contacted her about supporting her case. You can read the story here.

Inside the tawdry, drug-fueled world of insurance juggernaut Arias Organization

Women at Arias Organization, a top life insurance agency based in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, say they were fed date rape drugs, compared to dog puke, and forced to watch a boss masturbate. I worked for months on this project for Insider.com, ever-more incredulous as each reporting week went by. I have written about gender discrimination for nearly 30 years. This, by far, is the worst treatment of women in the workplace that I’ve ever seen.

Arias is a star agency under the umbrella of Globe Life Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-traded company that is in the portfolio of Warren Buffett. The agency is known by several names, including Arias Agencies, the Arias Organization and Globe Life American Income Division: Arias Organization. You can read my story here.

Stark Lessons from Wall Street’s #MeToo Moment

Women filed a wave of lawsuits and arbitrations against financial firms in the 1990s and early 2000s, disgusted by a culture of rampant sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The biggest cases of that era collectively drew thousands of participants in class actions and led to large settlements including $150 million against Smith Barney and $250 million against Merrill Lynch.

At a time when the long-term consequences of #MeToo on women’s careers is an open questions, I looked at court records, tracked down plaintiffs and spoke with a dozen employment lawyers to see how things had turned out for the women — and how things had turned out for the men who allegedly harassed them. My findings were sobering. You can read my story today for The Intercept here.