A top staffer with financial institution JPMorgan Chase is accused of sexually abusing a junior male colleague and threatening his career.
The accused was identified as Lorna Hajdini who is an executive director at JPMorgan Chase’s Leveraged Finance division, NDTV reported Thursday.
According to what appeared to be her LinkedIn profile, Hajdini graduated from the NYU Stern School of Business and has certifications from Harvard Business School.
A lawsuit filed this week in the New York County Supreme Court alleged she sexually abused the unnamed man, racially harassed him, and committed professional coercion against him.
“Referring to the married banker as ‘Brown boy Indian’, Hajdini is believed to have drugged him and even threatened his career when he refused the ‘non-consensual and humiliating sex acts,'” the NDTV article said, adding the alleged abuse began in early 2024.
At one point, Hajdini was accused of inviting the man for drinks and when he refused her, she allegedly told him, “If you don’t f**k me soon, I’m going to ruin you, never forget, I f**king own you.” She was also accused of threatening his career, allegedly saying, “I will make you pay.”
According to the lawsuit, the man submitted out of fear but his protests were heard by a witness who was in a nearby room. Hajdini is also accused of drugging the man with Rohypnol “as well as ‘an erection-enabling pharmaceutical substance’, to ensure he could perform during the coerced sexual encounters,” the outlet said.
Now, JPMorgan Chase is accused of retaliating against the man when he complained about the alleged abuse, the Free Press Journal reported Thursday.
The man claimed he was put on involuntary leave, locked out of the company system, and received anonymous threats.
A spokesperson for the banking institution said an investigation was launched but leadership did not believe the man’s claims had merit and he did not provide supporting evidence.
According to the Harvard Business School website, Hajdini has “built her career in Leveraged Finance, advising on and executing complex financings for private equity and corporate clients in a variety of industries.”
The attorney for the complainant, Daniel J. Kaiser, said his client’s professional and personal life have been devastated and he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of the alleged abuse.
“The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, lost income, and reputational harm, along with punitive damages and internal reforms,” the Journal article stated.
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