NASW Assurance Services Inc. (ASI) and NASW Insurance Company Inc. (NASWIC) filed a legal action in the US District Court for the District of Columbia on December 17, alleging misconduct by former insurance program executive Anthony Benedetto and his subordinates.
The filing outlines management practices ASI and NASWIC claim were unethical and seeks to address issues they believe negatively impacted their operations.
In addition to the lawsuit, ASI and NASWIC submitted a motion to dismiss multiple claims filed by Preferra Insurance Company Risk Retention Group on Sept. 20 last year. ASI and NASWIC argued that the claims made by Preferra lack merit and should not proceed in court.
“The Court should dismiss the Preferra complaint in its entirety,” said Jeff Borkowski, chief executive officer of ASI and NASWIC. “Preferra has offered nothing more than weak assertions about alleged wrongdoing by NASW, ASI and NASWIC.”
The legal action taken by ASI and NASWIC asserts that the Preferra lawsuit is groundless and details what they describe as improper actions by Preferra, Benedetto, and his subordinates. ASI and NASWIC are seeking damages exceeding $20 million in connection with the dispute.
“All year, Preferra has engaged in an aggressive public relations campaign to malign the professional organization to which most of its policyholders belong,” ASI President Ebony Speakes Hall commented. “The purpose of our insurance program is to serve the best interests of NASW members and the social work profession, not insurance executives.”
While ASI and NASWIC continue to focus on protecting their interests through legal action, they are also working on the development of new insurance services and products.
Additional details on these offerings are expected to be announced later in 2025 as part of their ongoing efforts to serve policyholders.