Former Triple I executive says he was fired after testifying in bullying case against CEO

A former Insurance Information Institute employee is suing his former boss and the organization’s owners, alleging discrimination and retaliation.

Michael Barry, who worked at Triple-I for more than 17 years and was a senior vice president, said in a lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court that Triple-I chief executive Sean Kevelighan fired Barry after he tried to get one To protect a colleague who was being bullied and harassed by Kevelighan.

Barry, a former chief communications officer, is suing for past and future wages, compensatory and punitive damages. The lawsuit names Kevelighan and Triple I parent company The Institutes as defendants.

According to the lawsuit, in 2023, during an internal investigation into Kevelighan, Barry testified about a “heated and offensive verbal exchange” with a gay employee in June 2023 in which Kevelighan allegedly used homophobic slurs and harassed the employee. The lawsuit said the institutions had hired an attorney to investigate Kevelighan’s “conduct during the exchange and on other occasions.”

According to his testimony, Barry said he was given a substandard performance rating by Kevelighan, which prevented Barry from receiving an annual bonus for the first time during his employment at Triple-I.

Barry was fired March 6 along with another employee who also testified against the CEO, according to the lawsuit. Bonuses were announced on March 7th.

The Institutes is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate risk management and insurance professionals. Its brands include Triple-I, CLM, Risk & Insurance, Insurance Accounting & Systems Association, Insurance Thought Leadership and Insurance Research Council.

The institutions did not respond to requests for comment.