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Gay JPMorgan employee sues bank, says boss harassed him and forced him to resign
An openly gay senior associate at JPMorgan Chase has sued the bank, claiming that his boss harassed him because of his sexual orientation
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An openly gay senior associate at JPMorgan Chase has sued the bank, claiming that his boss harassed him because of his sexual orientation and that he was ultimately forced to resign. Brian Larson, who worked as a senior associate in JPMorgan’s two-year Chase Associate Program, alleged that his supervisor, Peter Bergman, repeatedly criticised the amount of time he devoted to the bank’s Pride employee group.
Larson said the treatment escalated after he raised concerns, eventually taking a toll on his mental health and career, the New York Post reported.
Gay job’ and ‘day job’
According to the complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, Bergman confronted Larson during an unplanned Zoom meeting in June 2022 over his involvement with PRIDE Tri-State, a workplace group that supports and engages LGBTQ+ employees.
Larson alleged that Bergman told him to keep his “gay job separate from his day job” and questioned whether his work with the group was affecting his responsibilities on the Growth Segments team.
When Larson asked whether his performance was being affected, Bergman allegedly responded: “Your work is not suffering now, but I could see it happening.”
(Also read: Internship application asks candidates about their sexual orientation: ‘Is this even legal?’)
Worked 70-hour weeks
Larson said he was handling his Pride responsibilities in addition to working roughly 60 to 70 hours a week on his primary role.
He also alleged that JPMorgan’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) leadership had directed managers to recognise his work with the employee group, but Bergman nevertheless declined to credit it in his performance reviews.
After Larson complained about his supervisor’s conduct, he claims he was taken off projects and received an “on track” rating, compared with an “exceeds expectations” assessment during his first rotation. The lawsuit also alleges that a former supervisor cautioned him that going to HR “does not always turn out the way you want it to.”
“I was proud to build my career at JPMorgan Chase and believed deeply in the firm’s stated commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion,” Larson told The Independent in an email. “When I experienced conduct that I believed was discriminatory and raised concerns through the appropriate channels, I expected those concerns to be taken seriously. Instead, as alleged in the complaint, I faced retaliation that ultimately derailed my career at the firm.”
Dispute over $40 in Uber expenses
Larson’s employment became particularly contentious in October 2023, about 18 months after he joined JPMorgan, when HR questioned him over approximately $40 in Uber expenses.
The complaint says the rides were connected to Pride Month events that Larson attended as part of his work with PRIDE Tri-State. Larson maintained that his manager had approved his attendance and instructed him to charge the rides to the bank.
(Also read: Lorna Hajdini case: Ex-JPMorgan banker faces major blow amid ongoing ‘sex slave’ lawsuit)
During an HR meeting, he was allegedly told that the expenses had raised concerns about his “trustworthiness and honesty”. Larson’s manager later supported his explanation, and the issue was dropped, according to the lawsuit.
Four days later, however, Larson said HR contacted him again and told him that he had to resign or be fired.
The complaint alleges that HR told Larson that refusing to resign would result in a termination being placed on his employment record, potentially affecting his ability to return to JPMorgan. He was also allegedly told that his time in the Chase Associate Program had ended.
Larson said an HR representative then guided him through the resignation process while watching his computer screen.
Health problems
Brian Larson alleged that the experience had serious consequences for his wellbeing. The complaint says he developed panic attacks, depression, insomnia, severe anxiety and persistent migraines that did not respond to treatment.
It also alleges that the stress triggered a return of trichotillomania, a condition involving an uncontrollable urge to pull out one's hair. Larson said he had not experienced an episode since childhood. According to the complaint, the recurrence caused visible bald patches on his scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes.
The lawsuit further alleges that Larson gained between 20 and 25 pounds during the period and experienced chronic migraines.
JPMorgan disputes his claims
JPMorgan Chase has denied the allegations.
“We take these allegations very seriously and after a thorough internal investigation we found no evidence to substantiate Mr. Larson’s claims,” a spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase told The New York Post on Monday.
The bank said several managers had raised concerns about Larson’s performance during his time there and had provided him with coaching to address those shortcomings.
