Woman awarded $3M in assault claim against KBR

[babylonsister]

Woman awarded $3M in assault claim against KBR

By JUAN A. LOZANO (AP) – 13 hours ago

HOUSTON — A woman who claimed she was raped in 2005 while working in Iraq for a former Halliburton Co. subsidiary has been awarded nearly $3 million by an arbitrator to settle her case.

Tracy Barker had sued U.S. contractor KBR Inc., its former parent company Halliburton and several affiliates in May 2007, claiming she was sexually attacked by a State Department employee while working as a civilian contractor in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

A federal judge in Houston had dismissed Barker's lawsuit in January 2008, ruling she had to abide by an employment agreement she signed that said any claims she made against the companies would have to be settled through arbitration and not the courts.

Court records filed this week show Barker was awarded a judgment of $2.93 million to settle her arbitration claim against KBR.

The Associated Press doesn't usually identify those who report they were sexually assaulted, but Barker made her identity public in her lawsuit.

"It took me a long time to get here. I'm happy about the award," Barker, 38, who lives in Yuma, Ariz., told the AP.

more...

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jokPPhhCAeuOUqVj6Wdr87L5gGQAD9C2S7C80

[barbtries]

1. i'm happy for her

but what about the rapists and kidnappers still running around free? what about the CRIMINAL aspects of this and many other cases? what about LaVena Johnson? http://www.alternet.org/world/129646

i'll bet kbr can't pay that woman fast enough.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Poor writing

It kept referring to the arbitration award as the amount to settle her claim. A settlement is what the parties reach outside of litigation or arbitration to resolve the claim.
Here it sounds like the poor girl had to go through the ordeal of filing in court, then refiling in arbitration, going through a full hearing in which she had to testify and relive the rape ordeal, and then wait for the arbitrator to decide the case. The arbitrator AWARDED her the money.

It still is not resolved. How much you want to bet that KBR will file in court and argue that the award is somehow defective?

[babylonsister]

3. Seems like the arbitration was her only recourse. And you can bet

she hasn't heard the last from KBR. If they pay, seems they'd be admitting culpability.