Morgan banker expands racism and sexual harassment suit
Former Morgan banker Chirayu Rana has filed an expanded Manhattan federal lawsuit alleging sexual assault, workplace racism, and retaliation that he says irreparably destroyed his career. The filing adds new defendants and leans harder on race claims while dropping some of the most graphic language from his prior suit. JPMorgan denies the allegations.
Key Takeaways
- Ex-JPMorgan VP Chirayu Rana refiled an 82-page complaint in Manhattan federal court.
- He alleges racism, sexual coercion by executive Lorna Hajdini, and career-ending retaliation.
- New defendants include managing directors Brandon Graffeo and Jon Wolter, plus associate Kelly Crowe.
- JPMorgan says the claims lack merit and that Rana refused to join its internal probe.
- Rana claims pay above $2 million a year and seeks at least $22 million, per reporting.
What does the Morgan banker claim happened at JPMorgan?
According to the complaint, Rana—of Nepali descent and a former leveraged finance vice president—was the only non-white, non-Christian member of an otherwise all-white team. He says colleagues turned his heritage into degrading jokes, calling him “monkey,” “brown boy,” and “Brownie,” and joking about paying him in rupees.
The suit also renews allegations that executive director Lorna Hajdini coerced him into sex, said she “owned” him, and tied career progress to compliance. Rana further claims anonymous texts told him to leave the country and threatened to call immigration authorities on his family. He says an organized smear later cost him a job at Bregal Sagemount.
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How is this lawsuit different from his first filing?
Rana’s April state case drew global attention for highly explicit alleged dialogue. A state judge dismissed that version on July 16 so he and new counsel could refile. The federal suit, reported by Reuters, still alleges assault and coercion but strips some of the most salacious phrases, his attorney said, to focus on racism and retaliation backed by texts and other documents.
He also corrected a bereavement claim: leave was for his critically ill mother, not his father’s death—after reporting found his father alive in Virginia. The 21-count complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages under federal civil rights laws, the FMLA, and New York human rights laws.
eFinancialCareers notes Rana claims annual compensation “well over” $2 million as a top deal originator and wants at least $22 million, saying his career was “irreparably destroyed.”
How have JPMorgan and the accused responded?
A JPMorgan spokesperson said the bank found “no merit” after investigating, adding that many employees cooperated while “the complainant refused to participate.” The bank said the new venue does not change that view.
Hajdini has denied the claims and countersued for defamation. Her attorney called the allegations “categorically false” and said she never had any sexual or romantic relationship with Rana. Attorneys for Hajdini did not immediately respond to some press requests for fresh comment on the federal filing.
Rana’s lawyer Jon Norinsberg said JPMorgan has “fed the public a false and misleading narrative” and that the suit seeks to expose a workplace where “racism was normalized, sexual coercion was tolerated, and retaliation was weaponized.” The dispute remains unresolved in court.