CHARLESTON — An Elkview man says Western & Southern Financial Group wrongfully fired him and attempted to drive him out of his field.
Western-Southern Life Assurance Company and Chris Mattox were also named as defendants in the suit.
Randy Young was employed by Western-Southern from June 2006 until April 1, 2019, and for 10 years he was a top-performing agent for the company, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Circuit Court.
Young claims he was earning more than $400,000 per year and was named a member of the Million Dollar Roundtable from 2007 until 2019.
In 2013, he witnessed an incident between the CEO and an employee where the CEO sexually harassed the employee and several months after the incident occurred, he was asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement about the incident which he refused. He was told his job would be in jeopardy without signing the agreement.
Several years later, in January 2019, Western-Southern implemented a new compensation plan that resulted in a drastic reduction of his take-home pay. He claims when he complained, he was informed he was being audited. He was then terminated from his employment.
Young claims he was told by a supervisor that they would try to drive him out of the insurance business and the company then sent termination notices to the state's insurance commissioner.
Young is seeking compensatory damages. He is represented by Charles R. Bailey and Jeffrey M. Carder of Bailey & Wyant in Charleston.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Charles King.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 21-C-277
