JPMorgan Employee Sues Bank Over Alleged LGBTQ+ Discrimination

A former JPMorgan Chase employee has filed a lawsuit against the bank, alleging that he faced discrimination and retaliation due to his sexual orientation and involvement with the company's LGBTQ+ employee group.

Brian Larson, a senior associate in JPMorgan's Chase Associate Programme, claims that his supervisor, Peter Bergman, repeatedly criticized him for spending too much time on Pride-related activities. According to the complaint, Bergman told Larson to 'keep his gay job separate from his day job', and subsequently removed him from projects and downgraded his performance assessment.

Larson alleges that he raised concerns about Bergman's behavior with JPMorgan's HR team, but an internal review did not find evidence supporting his claims. The dispute escalated over a $40 Uber expense linked to Pride Month events, which Larson said had been approved by his manager. However, four days after the matter was resolved, HR told him he would have to resign or be terminated.

Larson claims that he had sought other positions within JPMorgan but was unable to secure a permanent role following his rotational programme. The lawsuit accuses JPMorgan of discrimination and retaliation, seeking damages for lost earnings and emotional distress.