Citi Employee Files Discrimination Lawsuit After Firing
A former employee of Citi has taken legal action against the bank, claiming she was discriminated against due to menopause and long-term COVID symptoms after being dismissed. Anne Watson, who served as a senior vice president in Citi’s Financial Solutions Group, filed her suit in London following her termination in 2023.
Allegedly, during an internal virtual interview, Watson remarked to an interviewer, “The project failed because I was working with an Indian team. Kapil, you know that Indians work together. That’s a nightmare.” This comment has stirred controversy, with the bank asserting that it was a factor in her termination.
Watson claims in her lawsuit that her firing was not just unfair but rooted in discrimination based on her gender, age, and health conditions related to long COVID, including issues like brain fog and memory loss. She’s seeking compensation for what she describes as unfair dismissals.
The bank has denied the allegations but hasn’t provided much comment on the situation. They stated that, following Watson’s comments, she was placed in a virtual waiting room during the interview.
When the interview resumed, Watson reportedly said, “Now it’s your chance, Kapil, I’ll take me back.” She expressed surprise upon learning that accusations of racism had surfaced from the human resources team nearly a month after the virtual meeting.
Describing her reaction during a hearing in London, Watson conveyed that the accusations were frightening. She maintained that she never intended to implicate a culture or country in her comments to the interview panel.
Watson admitted to being apologetic, yet she also emphasized that she couldn’t clearly recall certain remarks, attributing this memory lapse to her ongoing health issues. She suggested that her dismissal was, in part, due to her age—specifically, being 55—and insisted that her long-term service of 12 years was overlooked in the decision to terminate her.
Citi responded by asserting that their investigation into Watson’s conduct was fair and appropriate. Their legal representative argued that her health issues could not have caused her to make the alleged racist remarks.
