Lorenzo Delpani, the Italian-born CEO of United States-based cosmetics company Revlon, allegedly believes Americans are “dirty” and “small-minded,” that “Jews stick together,” and that he has the ability to “smell a black person” upon entering a room, according to a lawsuit. The company is now being sued for discrimination by one of its former top scientists, who also happens to be a Jew.
In his lawsuit, Alan Meyers says he was fired on December 10, 2014 after he complained about Delpani’s gross discrimination and his personal treatment by the CEO, according to the New York Post. Meyers said that he was targeted and ostracized because of his Jewish heritage. Lorenzo had allegedly made the discriminatory remarks outlined in the lawsuit back in 2013 when he was brought on board as Revlon’s new CEO. Meyers was hired by Revlon in 2010.
In addition to expressing his strong disdain for living among Americans, whom Delpani categorized as being “small-minded” and “dirty,” he noted that he was “thankful” that Revlon’s majority shareholder Ron Perelman (a prominent Jewish American) “is not like that anymore,” notes the Post. The lawsuit also alleges that Delpani pined for the day he would be able to live in a “real” country, and that he remarked that the United States–to which he emigrated–is becoming similar to ISIS (Islamic State).
Upon his return from a trip to South Africa in 2013, the lawsuit also alleges that Delpani said he “could smell a black person when he entered a room,” writes the Post.
Meyer is demanding unspecified punitive and compensatory damages and claims that he was fired shortly after he complained about Delpani’s inflammatory remarks, among other grievances.
Revlon claims that it fired Meyer after repeated “critical lapses in judgment” and a failure “to perform at the high standard we demand of our employees.” According to the New York Daily News, the company has vowed to “fight these baseless claims and this frivolous action.”
Adelle Nazarian is on Twitter @AdelleNaz
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