Ex-KBR workers' suit against firms alleges sex abuse

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http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/4933962.html

Ex-KBR workers' suit against firms alleges sex abuse
Women say they endured sexually charged environment while in Iraq


By ROBERT CROWE

Four women who worked for Houston-based Halliburton Co.'s former subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root have filed federal lawsuits against the companies, claiming they endured sexual harassment and, in two cases, rape while working in Iraq.

Attorneys say their clients encountered a sexually charged atmosphere where women were repeatedly demeaned and solicited for sex despite reporting harassment to supervisors.

The lawyers for women in the alleged rape cases, including a Conroe woman, say they are turning to the civil courts in part because they haven't been able to determine whether federal authorities are pursuing criminal prosecutions.

KBR would not comment specifically on the cases, but spokeswoman Heather Browne said all KBR employees are briefed on the company's code of business conduct, which "strictly prohibits sexual harassment by KBR employees," before being deployed to Iraq.

Halliburton spokeswoman Cathy Mann said her company "is improperly named" in the lawsuits. Halliburton and KBR split earlier this year.

Experts say they fear that untold numbers of crimes by civilian contractors have not been prosecuted because of confusion over which judicial system to apply to U.S. civilians working in a foreign war zone.

"You are using more and more contractors and yet you've created a legal netherworld where there's, at the least, a lack of accountability," said Peter W. Singer, a fellow with the Brookings Institution and author of the book Corporate Warriors. "At the same time you're paying contractors more than you pay soldiers, yet you're holding soldiers to higher standards."