Lawsuit accuses JPMorgan exec of sexual abuse, racial harassment

A senior JPMorgan Chase executive director has been sued in New York by a former colleague who alleges a monthslong campaign of sexual assault, racial harassment and workplace intimidation. The allegations, which have not been independently verified, are denied by the bank.

The complaint, filed in New York County Supreme Court, names Lorna Hajdini, an executive director in the bank’s leveraged finance division, as the primary defendant. JPMorgan Chase is also named as a defendant, with the plaintiff accusing the firm of enabling the abuse and retaliating against him after he raised the alarm. The plaintiff, identified anonymously as John Doe, is described in the filing as an Asian married banker who joined the firm in March 2024.

According to a civil complaint cited in multiple reports, the alleged misconduct began in spring 2024 after Ms. Hajdini assumed a senior role overseeing Mr. Doe. He claims she used her authority over his career progression to pressure him into repeated sexual encounters and subjected him to persistent verbal and racial harassment.

Among the earliest incidents cited in the filing, Mr. Doe alleged Ms. Hajdini made an unsolicited sexual advance at his desk in May 2024. The allegations soon escalated: He claims she propositioned him for oral sex inside the office on two occasions, invoking derogatory racial language. He further alleged she linked his advancement, including a promotion to executive director, to complying with her demands.

Mr. Doe claimed he repeatedly rejected Ms. Hajdini’s advances but was met with threats of retaliation. The complaint describes an encounter at an apartment where Mr. Doe was staying in which she allegedly demanded his compliance and tied it to his standing at the bank. During a separate alleged encounter, the filing says she sexually assaulted him while he protested. The complaint also accuses her of directing racially abusive insults at Mr. Doe and his wife during the incident.

Among the most serious allegations, Mr. Doe claims Ms. Hajdini admitted to drugging him with Rohypnol, commonly known as “roofies,” along with an erection-enhancing substance, before having sex with him. The lawsuit also accuses her of using her executive status to gain unauthorized access to his personal bank account to monitor his movements. Two witnesses are cited in the complaint as corroborating portions of his account.

The alleged harassment continued into September 2024, the complaint states, when Mr. Doe says Ms. Hajdini berated him over his business performance and again threatened to sabotage his promotion if he refused her demands. He alleged he complied out of fear of professional retaliation.

In late 2024, Mr. Doe began seeking employment elsewhere but alleged that Ms. Hajdini and other senior managers provided damaging references that undermined his search. He submitted a formal written complaint to JPMorgan in May 2025, detailing what he described as race- and gender-based harassment and severe sexual abuse. He claims the bank retaliated within days, placing him on involuntary leave and revoking his access to company systems.

The complaint further alleges Mr. Doe received threatening anonymous calls after filing his grievance, including one voicemail purportedly from someone claiming to be a JPMorgan manager, and another threatening to contact immigration authorities about him and his family.

JPMorgan Chase denied the allegations. “Following an investigation, we do not believe there is any merit to these claims,” a spokesperson said. “While numerous employees cooperated with the investigation, the complainant refused to participate and has declined to provide facts that would be central to support his allegations.” Ms. Hajdini remains employed at the company and has not publicly responded to the lawsuit.

Mr. Doe’s attorney, Daniel J. Kaiser, called the allegations “horrendous” and said his client has been diagnosed with PTSD and, according to Mr. Kaiser, has struggled to find new work following the dispute. The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, lost earnings, reputational harm and punitive compensation, as well as changes to workplace practices at the bank.