JPMorgan Sued as Boss Allegedly Tells Gay Worker To Separate His 'Gay Job' From His 'Day Job'

A former JPMorgan Chase associate sued the bank in New York on 23 September, alleging a supervisor told him to 'separate [his] gay job from [his] day job' and that the bank forced him out, in a case over US workplace protections.

Brian Larson, who joined the firm's rotational Chase Associate Program in 2021 and became co-chair of its PRIDE Tri-State employee group, filed the complaint in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. He accuses the bank of discrimination and retaliation under federal, New York state, and New York City law.

'Separate Your Gay Job'

The dispute centres on Larson's supervisor, Peter Bergman, who allegedly called him to an unplanned video meeting in June 2022 over his Pride work. According to the complaint, Bergman labelled those duties 'extracurricular' and told Larson to 'separate [his] gay job from [his] day job'. Larson says he was working 60 to 70 hours a week for Bergman's team.

The lawsuit alleges Bergman went further in later meetings, telling Larson that 'DEI is not going to save you' and that 'just because you are gay doesn't mean you get a leg up'. When the bank's head of diversity, equity, and inclusion asked managers to credit such work in reviews, Bergman allegedly refused to count any of Larson's Pride activities.

A Complaint That Changed Everything

Larson says he flagged the remarks to Elizabeth Manchin, the programme's manager, who allegedly told him 'Pride activities are not extracurricular' and were 'a part of how we do business at Chase'. He filed a formal report with the bank's employee hotline in September 2022.

After that, Larson alleges, his treatment hardened. His work drew heavier scrutiny, he was dropped from projects, and earlier praise describing him as an 'all-star' gave way to lower performance ratings. In December 2022, human resources found 'no credible evidence' of discrimination and offered no appeal, the complaint says.

Resign or Be Fired

The final dispute came over about $40 (£30) in Uber rides tied to Pride Month events. In October 2023, HR questioned the expenses, then told Larson to resign or be fired, warning that dismissal would stay on his record and could block a rehire, according to the suit. He had applied for about 50 internal roles without landing a permanent one.

Larson says the ordeal triggered panic attacks, migraines, and the return of a hair-pulling condition dormant since childhood. His lawyers, Julia Elmaleh-Sachs and Samantha Wilhelm, argue the bank violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which the Supreme Court confirmed in 2020 protects gay employees.

What JPMorgan Says

JPMorgan rejects the account. 'We take these allegations very seriously, and after a thorough internal investigation we found no evidence to substantiate Mr Larson's claims,' a spokesperson said. The bank says several managers had flagged performance gaps and that Larson received extra time to find a permanent post after his programme ended.

The case lands as US employers scale back diversity commitments, and no court has ruled on its merits. The lawsuit puts those protections at the centre of Larson's discrimination and retaliation claims.