Gay JPMorgan Worker Says Boss Told Him 'DEI Is Not Going to Save You' Before He Was Forced to Resign

A former JPMorgan Chase employee claims his supervisor told him to separate his 'gay job' from his 'day job' and warned that 'DEI is not going to save you' before HR allegedly told him to resign or face termination, according to a federal discrimination lawsuit filed in Manhattan.

Brian Larson, a former senior associate in the bank's rotational Chase Associate Program, alleges his supervisor, Peter Bergman, criticised his work with JPMorgan's PRIDE Tri-State employee group and retaliated after he complained. JPMorgan disputes the allegations, saying an internal investigation found no evidence to substantiate Larson's claims.

A Clash Over Pride Work and Performance

According to the complaint, Bergman called Larson into an unplanned Zoom meeting in June 2022 and raised concerns about the amount of time he was spending on Pride-related work, describing his Pride responsibilities as an 'extracurricular' activity. When Larson asked whether his work for Bergman's Growth Segments team was suffering, Bergman allegedly responded: 'Your work is not suffering now, but I could see it happening.'

The complaint says Larson was working 60 to 70 hours a week for the team while handling his Pride responsibilities outside those hours. Larson subsequently reported the comment to Chase Associate Program Manager Elizabeth Manchin, who allegedly told him that 'Pride activities are not extracurricular' and were 'a part of how we do business at Chase.'

'DEI Is Not Going to Save You'

The dispute intensified after Brian Lamb, then JPMorgan's global head of diversity, equity, and inclusion, allegedly sent Larson an email recognising his DEI work and saying his manager would be instructed to incorporate that work into each of the three categories of his upcoming performance review.

Bergman allegedly responded: 'I see this email from Brian Lamb, but I want you to know that I am not including any of your Pride activities in your performance review.' At another meeting, Bergman allegedly told Larson: 'Just because you are gay doesn't mean you get a leg up.'

Larson claims he complained again and that Bergman subsequently removed him from projects and subjected his work to greater scrutiny. The supervisor allegedly later warned Larson that his 'final placement out of this program is not a sure thing' and added, 'DEI is not going to save you.'

The complaint alleges Bergman then rated Larson 'on track' in all three performance categories and wrote, 'I wish Brian demonstrated the same passion for the Students Group Growth Segment that he does for his LGBTQ community.' Larson, however, said he received 'exceeds expectations' ratings across all three categories during his first rotation and was told he was again exceeding expectations during his third, according to the complaint.

HR Investigation and the Final Exit

Larson claims JPMorgan's human resources department investigated his complaints but ultimately told him there was 'no credible evidence that Mr. Bergman discriminated against (Mr. Larson).'

The situation reached a final stage in October 2023, when HR questioned Larson about roughly $40 in Uber expenses connected to Pride Month events. The complaint says HR told him the expenses raised questions about his 'trustworthiness and honesty'.

Larson said the rides had been approved, and his manager corroborated his account before HR dropped the issue. The complaint says the issue was later cleared without a policy violation. Four days later, however, HR allegedly told Larson that his 'time with CAP had run out' and instructed him to resign through an online portal.

According to the lawsuit, Larson was warned that refusing to resign would result in termination, which would remain on his record and could affect his chances of being rehired. He later applied for dozens of internal positions at JPMorgan but failed to secure a permanent role, according to the filing.

JPMorgan Disputes the Claims

JPMorgan disputes Larson's allegations. 'We take these allegations very seriously, and after a thorough internal investigation we found no evidence to substantiate Mr. Larson's claims,' a JPMorgan spokesperson told the New York Post.

The bank said multiple managers had identified performance gaps during Larson's employment and provided coaching to address them. JPMorgan also said Larson was given additional time to secure a permanent position after completing the program but ultimately resigned after failing to obtain one.

The lawsuit accuses JPMorgan of discrimination and retaliation under federal, state, and city laws. Larson is seeking lost earnings and benefits, compensatory damages, and punitive damages, among other relief. The case remains pending, and the allegations have not been proven in court.