A former JPMorgan Chase employee has sued the bank, alleging that he faced discrimination and retaliation linked to his sexual orientation and his involvement with the company’s LGBTQ+ employee group, and was ultimately pressured to resign.
Brian Larson, a former senior associate in JPMorgan’s Chase Associate Programme, filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court alleging that his supervisor, Peter Bergman, repeatedly criticised the amount of time he spent working with PRIDE Tri-State, the bank’s LGBTQ+ employee group.
According to the complaint, Larson was confronted by Bergman during an unplanned Zoom meeting in June 2022 and questioned about whether his involvement with the employee group was affecting his responsibilities on the Growth Segments team. Larson alleges that Bergman told him to keep his “gay job” separate from his “day job”.
Larson said he was working about 60 to 70 hours a week in his primary role while managing his Pride responsibilities. He also alleges that JPMorgan’s diversity, equity and inclusion leadership had asked managers to recognise his work with the employee group, but that Bergman declined to include it in his performance assessment.
The complaint alleges that Larson’s treatment changed after he raised concerns about his supervisor. He claims he was removed from projects and received an “on track” performance assessment after previously receiving “exceeds expectations” ratings. The lawsuit also alleges that Bergman warned him that his continued participation in the associate programme was uncertain and that his involvement in diversity initiatives would not protect his position.
Larson subsequently raised concerns with JPMorgan’s HR team. According to the complaint, an internal review did not find evidence supporting his discrimination allegations.
The dispute later escalated over approximately $40 in Uber expenses linked to Pride Month events. Larson maintained that the expenses had been approved by his manager. The complaint says the matter was ultimately resolved after the manager supported his explanation.
Four days later, however, Larson alleges that HR told him he would have to resign or be terminated. The lawsuit claims he was warned that a termination could be placed on his employment record and that an HR representative guided him through the resignation process while monitoring his computer screen.
Larson alleges that he had sought other positions within JPMorgan but was unable to secure a permanent role following his rotational programme. The lawsuit claims the treatment affected his career and caused significant emotional distress.
The lawsuit accuses JPMorgan of discrimination and retaliation and seeks damages for lost earnings and other losses, along with compensatory and punitive damages.
JPMorgan has denied the allegations. The bank said an internal investigation found no evidence to substantiate Larson’s claims and said several managers had raised concerns about his performance and provided coaching to address them. JPMorgan has also maintained that Larson was given additional time to find a permanent position after completing the Chase Associate Programme before he resigned.
The allegations have not been established in court, and the case remains ongoing.
