American Family Insurance Co. ordered to pay Missouri woman $20 million

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri woman who sued American Family Insurance for retaliation and age and sex discrimination has been awarded $20 million in punitive damages.

Deborah Miller, 60, of Blue Springs, also was awarded $450,000 in actual damages on Friday by a Jackson County jury, The Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/2gydiVH ). She was removed from her manager position in a corporate restructuring but continues to be a company agent.

Ken Muth, a spokesman for American Family, based in Madison, Wisconsin, said Monday that the company strongly disagrees with the verdict "and believe it is contrary to the facts and testimony that were presented at trial."

"We do not illegally discriminate in any way, and there was no discrimination in this situation. We are considering our options for appeal," Muth said.

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