Former JPMorgan Executive Files Federal Suit Alleging Abuse and Racism

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, names Executive Director Lorna Hajdini and Managing Directors Brandon Graffeo and Jon Wolter as defendants alongside the bank. Rana, who served on the Leveraged Finance team, claims he was the sole non-white, non-Christian banker in his unit, where he was frequently subjected to derogatory epithets such as "Brown Boy" and "monkey." According to the legal filing, Hajdini leveraged her authority over his assignments and compensation to coerce him into sexual acts, at times threatening his career or allegedly drugging him without his knowledge.

After Rana reported the abuse in May 2025, the bank allegedly stripped him of system access, reduced his pay, and placed him on involuntary leave while his accused colleagues remained in their roles. The filing details a pattern of harassment that extended to his personal life, citing anonymous threats sent to his family that utilized internal information known only to members of his JPMorgan team. Attorneys for Rana, led by Jon Norinsberg and Bennitta L. Joseph, claim they possess preserved communications, internal group chats, and audio recordings to substantiate 24 causes of action, including claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the New York City Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law. Rana is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as a jury trial to address the career and personal harm he describes in the suit.