Justice Department asked to investigate racism at Texas Windstorm Insurance Association

An attorney for a South Texas school district suing the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association over rejected claims has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate whether there is a “culture of racism” at the agency.

Houston plaintiffs’ attorney Steve Mosytn said in a Feb. 21 letter to the federal department’s Civil Rights Division that the Texas Department of Insurance will not appropriately investigate racism at the association that it oversees.

Mostyn is representing the Brownsville school district in a case over unpaid claims by the association following Hurricane Dolly in 2008. In the course of discovery, Mostyn came across several racist emails to and from top officials at the insurance association that disparaged Hispanics, African Americans and other minorities. Mostyn has charged that the offensive emails prove that racism was factor in TWIA’s denial of claims by the heavily Hispanic school district.

The Texas Department of Insurance and the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, the quasi-governmental insurer of last resort for coastal Texans that is usually referred to by its initials TWIA, have maintained an “adversarial relationship” with the district, Mostyn said.

More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/justice-department-asked-to-investigate-racism-at-/ndqWR/ (subscription required).