JPMorgan Accused in Harassment Case Involving Senior Executive

Recent reports indicate that JPMorgan offered Chirayu Rana $1 million following allegations of sexual harassment and racial abuse against senior executive Lorna Hadjidini.

Last week, it was disclosed that Hadjidini, a prominent member of JPMorgan’s team, was sued by Rana, a male colleague, who claimed she harassed him after she joined the leveraged finance division in spring 2024. The lawsuit, referred to as “John Doe,” includes serious accusations such as Hadjidini turning him into a “sex slave,” threatening his career over rejected advances, and engaging in repeated sexual assaults.

According to sources, Rana was identified later by the New York Post as a former principal at investment firm Bregal Sagemount. It’s worth noting that an earlier internal investigation by JPMorgan had cleared Hadjidini of any wrongdoing prior to this case.

About a week later, on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that JPMorgan had offered Rana a $1 million settlement in March — just a month before he formally filed his lawsuit in April. This amount reportedly matched around two years of salary for Rana, aimed at circumventing legal proceedings. However, Rana rejected the offer, subsequently proposing a counteroffer of $11.75 million through his attorney in April.

A spokesperson for JPMorgan indicated that negotiations were ongoing: “While we cannot comment on confidential discussions, we sought to reach an agreement to avoid the time and expense of litigation and to help our employees who face ongoing reputational harm,” the representative stated.

The spokesperson added, “We continue to believe that these allegations lack merit, and the new information revealed through public filing only reinforces that view.”

Hadjidini’s legal counsel asserted that she “categorically denies the charges,” stating that her client never engaged in inappropriate behavior towards Rana or even visited the site where the alleged assault is said to have occurred.

Furthermore, her lawyer emphasized, “Lorna firmly denies these allegations. She has never engaged romantically or sexually with this individual, nor has she ever provided him with drugs. His claims are entirely fabricated and harmful to her reputation.”

Reports also mentioned that Rana “did not report” to Hadjidini, suggesting their relationship was more collegial than hierarchical, as they were both part of a team involved in significant corporate activities like mergers and acquisitions.

Colleagues noted that Hadjidini reported to Brandon Grafeo, a managing director, while Rana worked under a different director, John Walter. This context implied that Hadjidini wouldn’t have been able to influence any bonuses he received.

One of Rana’s colleagues described him as “socially awkward” yet indicated he met the bank’s expectations.

No trial date has been set as of now. The case remains noteworthy because U.S. court filings are protected from defamation claims, allowing media outlets to report on the allegations without legal repercussions as long as coverage is fair and accurate.

Some colleagues reportedly expressed that the accusations had tarnished Hadjidini’s reputation significantly.