Sunday, September 27, 2009
GuideOne Mutual Insurance didn’t see any problem with offering special benefits to god-fearing consumers, but atheists and agnostics, not to mention the federal government, sure did. The Department of Justice sued GuideOne in federal court in Kentucky after receiving complaints about the insurer’s “FaithGuard” policy that offered homebuyers, owners and renters in 19 states special benefits and discounts if they were churchgoers.
The Iowa-based company has agreed to settle the lawsuit for $74,000. It also will stop asking policyholders to state their religious denomination on application forms, develop new, nondiscriminatory insurance deals, train its employees and agents on the Fair Housing Act, and report in periodically with Justice Department officials.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Insurer Will Pay $74,000 Settlement for Discriminating Against Atheists & Agnostics (by Dan McCue, Courthouse News Service)
U.S Government v. GuideOne Mutual Insurance (U.S. District Court for the District of Western Kentucky) (PDF)
Akron Suit Claims Insurance for Churchgoers Discriminates (by Rick Armon, Akron Beacon Journal)
FaithGuard Auto Policy (GuideOne)
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