US SEC hits 7 public companies with penalties for violating whistleblower protections

By Chris Prentice

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Seven public companies agreed to pay a combined $3 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges they violated whistleblower protections, the regulator said on Monday.

TransUnion agreed to pay $312,000 and Acadia Healthcare Company will pay $1.39 million in connection with the settlements the SEC disclosed on Monday.

The firms were each charged in connection with employment, separation or other agreements that violated a rule that prohibits any actions to impede individuals communicating with the regulator directly about possible violations of securities laws, the SEC said in its statement.

They have all worked toward remediation, including changing the agreements at issue, the SEC said.

TransUnion said in a statement that the firm cooperated with the SEC's inquiry and is voluntarily making changes to ensure employees understand their rights and responsibilities.

"The SEC’s engagement on this matter reflects what good regulatory supervision can look like," it said.

Representatives for the other companies did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

The other penalties were as follows:

* a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp agreed to pay a $399,750 civilpenalty * AppFolio Inc . agreed to pay a $692,250 civil penalty * IDEX Corp agreed to pay a $75,000 civil penalty * LSB Industries agreed to pay a $156,000 civil penalty * Smart for Life Inc agreed to pay a $19,500 civil penalty

(Reporting by Chris PrenticeEditing by Chizu Nomiyama and Tomasz Janowski)