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Media Articles on Law Firm
Harassment
Suit Targets CalFarm Co.
The Sacramento Union
Friday, February 19, 1993
By T. G. Swauger
A Sacramento woman has filed a $50,000 lawsuit for sexual harassment
against CalFarm Insurance Co. and its general counsel.
The suit filed in Sacramento Superior Court by Margaret G. Caballero
names the Sacramento-based insurance company and Edward M. Broderick
III as defendants. Several unnamed male employees are also named in the
suit.
Documents filed by Caballero's attorney, Michael A. Damore, show that
Caballero is seeking at least $50,000 in general and special damages.
She is also asking for an unspecified amount in punitive damages.
Clement Kong, the attorney retained by CalFarm Insurance
Co., said corporation policy prohibits Broderick and CalFarm from
commenting on the case. Broderick will respond to the court by March 1
concerning the allegations and CalFarm will respond by March 11, Kong
said.
Broderick was named as the 46-year-old Caballero's direct supervisor at
the CalFarm corporate offices on Exposition Boulevard. She had served
as his legal secretary since January 1989 but left the company several
months ago on an unrelated medical leave.
In the suit, Caballero says Broderick insisted she open pornographic
literature primarily videotape catalogs sent to him in the mail. that
duty remained even after she complained, she says.
Caballero also alleges Broderick used CalFarm's interoffice mail to
exchange pornographic photographs with other male employees. Those
photographs were accompanied with derogatory comments about other women
in the office, she said.
Additionally, Caballero alleges Broderick would hide pornographic
pictures of obese women in her desk and filing cabinet and then wait
for her to find them.
"This hostile work environment also included sexual jokes, sexual
innuendoes, profanity directed towards women and other sexually
offensive conduct," the suit alleges.
In naming CalFarm as a codefendant, Caballero alleges the company
ignored her complaints.
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