Full Breakdown
Former JPMorgan Associate Sues Over Alleged LGBTQ+ Discrimination
By Drooid · · How we work
Alleged Discriminatory Actions
Brian Larson, a former participant in JPMorgan’s Chase Associate Program, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 23. Larson claims that after becoming co-chair of PRIDE Tri-State—a business resource group for LGBTQ+ employees covering New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut—he was singled out for his involvement. In June 2022, a manager allegedly told him to keep his “gay job” separate from his other duties and later assigned him menial tasks, daily check-ins, and a poor performance review that differed from the positive feedback he received in other rotations. Larson says the manager also excluded his PRIDE leadership from his performance evaluation despite guidance from the bank’s diversity chief that such work should be recognized. He reports that, after applying for 50 internal positions, he reached the final two candidates for roughly 35-40 roles but “hit an invisible wall” that stalled his advancement. The complaint further notes that a supervisor responded to his concerns with the remark “DEI will not save you,” and that the bank later pressured him to resign or face dismissal.
JPMorgan’s Internal Investigation Findings
According to the lawsuit, JPMorgan’s human-resources department investigated Larson’s complaints and, in December 2022, concluded there was “no credible evidence” of discrimination. The filing states that the investigation offered no appeal process for Larson.
Legal Basis of the Claim
Larson’s suit invokes Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as New York state and city human-rights statutes, alleging that the alleged treatment violated protections based on sexual orientation and retaliation for protected activity.
Additional Allegations and Context
The complaint also alleges that the bank questioned Larson’s trustworthiness after he expensed approximately $40 in Uber rides related to PRIDE activities. An anecdote in the filing describes a comment by JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon about the Kinsey Scale, which Larson interpreted as an “identity-based” joke. Attitude has reached out to JPMorgan for comment but has not received a response.
Outlook
The lawsuit adds to ongoing scrutiny of corporate diversity initiatives and raises questions about how large financial institutions handle employee-led LGBTQ+ groups. The case will proceed through the federal court system, where the merits of Larson’s discrimination claims will be examined against JPMorgan’s internal findings.