JPMorgan Supervisor Told Gay Employee 'DEI Won't Save You'
JPMorgan Chase is facing a lawsuit from a former employee who claims he was forced to resign after being subjected to discriminatory remarks and behavior by his supervisor. Brian Larson, a senior associate in JPMorgan's rotational Chase Associate Program, alleges that his supervisor Peter Bergman repeatedly made disparaging comments about his sexual orientation and leadership role in the bank's Pride employee group.
Bergman allegedly told Larson he needed to 'separate [his] gay job from [his] day job' and characterized his Pride work as an 'extracurricular' activity. When Larson asked whether his work for Bergman's Growth Segments team was suffering, Bergman replied: '[Your work is not suffering now, but I could see it happening.']
Larson claims that the ordeal caused him to suffer intense anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and insomnia, and triggered a resurgence of trichotillomania, a hair-pulling disorder often triggered by stress. JPMorgan Chase denies Larson's allegations, stating that multiple managers identified performance gaps during his time at the firm and provided coaching aimed at helping him improve.
JPMorgan HR investigated Larson's complaints but found 'no credible evidence that Mr. Bergman discriminated against [Mr. Larson].'