Kansas City Jury Hits American Family Insurance With $20.45 Million for Age and Sex Discrimination

Deborah Miller, 60, of Blue Springs, Missouri, spent years as a sales manager for American Family Insurance, earning recognition as an award-winning performer whose results matched or exceeded those of younger male peers. When the company undertook a corporate restructuring, Miller was demoted from her management position. She remained employed as an agent, but her role and standing within the company were fundamentally diminished.

Miller contended that the restructuring was used to target older workers, pushing out experienced employees in favor of a younger workforce. She alleged that the company treated her differently than male managers of comparable performance, and that when she raised concerns, the company retaliated against her. She brought claims under the Missouri Human Rights Act, the state statute that prohibits workplace discrimination based on age and sex.

Dennis Egan of The Popham Law Firm represented Miller at trial in Jackson County Circuit Court. The defense argued that Miller's demotion was a legitimate business decision tied to organizational changes, not her age or sex, and that the company disagreed with the verdict.

In December 2016, the jury returned a verdict of $20.45 million: $450,000 in actual damages and $20 million in punitive damages. The size of the punitive award reflected the jury's assessment of American Family's conduct. Reports at the time identified it as the largest verdict ever obtained under the Missouri Human Rights Act.

No publicly available appellate opinion reducing or reversing the verdict was located in accessible court records.