JPMorgan Supervisors Accused of Rejecting LGBTQ Inclusion Initiatives

JPMorgan Chase is facing a lawsuit from a former employee who claims he was discriminated against due to his sexual orientation. Brian Larson, a senior associate in JPMorgan's rotational Chase Associate Program, alleges that his supervisor Peter Bergman repeatedly made derogatory comments about his sexual orientation and his leadership position in the bank's Pride employee resource group.

The alleged discrimination took a severe toll on Larson's wellbeing, causing intense anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, and a resurgence of trichotillomania. Larson initially reported Bergman's comment to Chase Associate Program manager Elizabeth Manchin, who affirmed that Pride activities were integral to how Chase conducts business.

Bergman allegedly rejected the directive from JPMorgan's then-global head of diversity, equity and inclusion, Brian Lamb, to include Pride activities in Larson's performance review. After Larson filed additional complaints, Bergman began removing him from projects, intensified scrutiny of his work, and warned that his final placement in the program was uncertain.