Gay Ex-JPMorgan Employee Claims Boss Said 'DEI Is Not Going To Save You' Before Being Forced To Resign

A gay 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', according to a federal discrimination lawsuit filed in New York.

Brian Larson alleges the remarks came during a dispute over his work with JPMorgan's Pride employee group and preceded what he describes as pressure to resign from the bank.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York on 23 September 2026, accuses JPMorgan of discrimination and retaliation related to Larson's sexual orientation and his involvement with the employee group.

JPMorgan disputes the allegations, saying an internal investigation found no evidence to substantiate Larson's claims and that multiple managers had identified performance issues during his time at the firm.

JPMorgan Supervisor Allegedly Questioned Pride Work

Larson was a senior associate in JPMorgan's Chase Associate Program, a two-year rotational programme involving three placements of roughly eight to 10 months each, according to the complaint.

In late June 2022, Larson alleges that his supervisor, Peter Bergman, called him into an unplanned Zoom meeting and complained that he was spending too much time on his work with Pride.

According to the lawsuit, Bergman told Larson he needed to 'separate [his] gay job from [his] day job' and described his Pride responsibilities as an 'extracurricular' activity.

Larson alleges that he was working 60 to 70 hours a week for Bergman's team while carrying out his Pride responsibilities outside those hours. When he asked whether his work for Bergman's Growth Segments team was suffering, the complaint says Bergman replied, 'Your work is not suffering now, but I could see it happening.'

Larson reported the alleged remark to Chase Associate Program manager Elizabeth Manchin. According to the complaint, Manchin told him that 'Pride activities are not extracurricular' and were 'a part of how we do business at Chase'.

Larson also sought advice from former supervisor Ashlee Kelly.

He alleges that Kelly cautioned him against going to human resources because 'it does not always turn out the way you want it to', although she also told him he had 'done the right thing' by reporting Bergman's behaviour.

The complaint says the dispute continued after Brian Lamb, who had previously served as JPMorgan's global head of diversity, equity and inclusion, sent Larson an email recognising his commitment to DEI. Larson alleges that Bergman subsequently told him he would not include any of his Pride activities in his performance review.

During another meeting, Bergman allegedly told Larson, 'Just because you are gay doesn't mean you get a leg up.'

'DEI Is Not Going To Save You', Lawsuit Claims

Larson alleges that after he continued raising concerns, Bergman removed him from projects and increased scrutiny of his work. He claims the supervisor later warned that his 'final placement out of this program is not a sure thing'.

It was during this period, according to the complaint, that Bergman told him, 'DEI is not going to save you.'

Larson further alleges that Bergman subsequently gave him 'on track' ratings in all three performance categories and wrote, 'I wish Brian [Larson] demonstrated the same passion for the Students Group Growth Segment that he does for his LGBTQ community.'

The complaint says Larson had previously received 'exceeds expectations' ratings across all three categories during his first rotation and was again told he was exceeding expectations during his third.

JPMorgan has offered a different account.

A spokesperson told The Post that the bank takes the allegations seriously but said that, after a thorough internal investigation, it found no evidence to substantiate Larson's claims. The bank also said multiple managers had identified performance gaps and provided coaching intended to help him improve.

JPMorgan said Larson was given additional time to find a permanent position after completing the Chase Associate Program but ultimately resigned after failing to secure one.

Larson disputes that account.

The complaint alleges that JPMorgan's human resources department investigated his complaints but told him it had found 'no credible evidence' that Bergman had discriminated against him. He later applied for dozens of positions within the bank without securing a permanent role, according to the lawsuit.

In October 2023, HR also questioned Larson over about $40 (£30) in Uber expenses connected to Pride Month events. The complaint says he was told the expenses raised questions about his 'trustworthiness and honesty', although HR later found no policy violation.

Four days after that, Larson alleges, HR told him his 'time with CAP had run out' and instructed him to resign through an online portal while sharing his screen. He claims he was warned that otherwise he would be fired and the termination would be placed on his record.

The complaint also alleges that the workplace dispute caused Larson intense anxiety, panic attacks, depression and insomnia, as well as a recurrence of trichotillomania that he says he had not experienced since childhood.

The lawsuit seeks lost earnings, compensatory and punitive damages, and other relief. It alleges discrimination and retaliation under federal, New York state and New York City law.

No court has yet ruled on the merits of Larson's claims.