A former Bank of America executive, Robert Zullo, alleges he was pressured to leave his job after he relocated to care for his sick mother, while a younger black colleague was permitted to do the same without facing any consequences. He detailed these claims in a lawsuit that paints a troubling picture of potential discrimination.
Zullo, 55, who held a senior vice president position, claims that during an August 2025 meeting, his supervisor, AJ Venit, threatened him by saying he “would never work in the banking industry again” for his decision to move from Charlotte, NC, to Albany, NY. Venit allegedly told Zullo that he would be out of his job within a month, once they completed the necessary paperwork.
The bank has pushed back against his allegations. A spokesperson stated that while they provide flexibility and leave options for employees, Zullo “repeatedly failed to comply with company policy,” expressing their disagreement with his account and saying they look forward to clarifying the situation through legal means.
In his lawsuit, Zullo argues that he faced discrimination based on his race and age compared to younger colleagues, particularly a black employee who was allowed flexible working conditions. This colleague, he claims, was also promoted after being permitted to relocate to New Jersey without undergoing the bank’s formal approval process for such arrangements.
Zullo believes that his bosses were motivated by financial incentives to favor black employees, as parts of their bonuses were linked to diversity targets, which did not include him. The former executive details how this younger colleague, who was in his 30s, did not have to physically report to an office and later advanced to a more senior role.
According to the lawsuit, Zullo received verbal approval from his supervisor, Karen Cheney, to work intermittently from Albany to assist his ailing mother. His mother, who had serious medical issues affecting her mobility, vision, and cognitive abilities, was scheduled to start intensive outpatient treatments in September 2025.
Zullo claims he was able to maintain this arrangement for around a year without facing disciplinary measures, and the weekly manager reports indicated he was compliant. However, Cheney apparently sought further information from human resources to justify a disciplinary warning regarding his attendance while acknowledging that reports showed he had been compliant.
Shortly after Zullo applied to make Albany his official office for the sake of living with his mother, he received a formal disciplinary letter stating that he had not been spending the minimum required days at his assigned office in Charlotte. This reprimand occurred just a day after his application was submitted.
During a meeting on August 14, Venit accused Zullo of using the Albany office without permission and halted his application from proceeding to the review committee. Cheney, when asked, did not confirm that she had authorized Zullo’s work arrangement, according to the lawsuit. Subsequently, Zullo filed an internal ethics complaint alleging age and racial discrimination.
Within days, Zullo claims he was put on a performance improvement plan that cited “low performance and lack of productivity,” indicating that termination could happen at any point. He views this move as retaliatory, especially since the bank has a policy that should pause employment actions when an ethics complaint is filed.
Despite receiving positive evaluations, expanded responsibilities, and a performance award from Cheney just a few months before, Zullo’s flexible working application was canceled and his ability to apply for family medical leave was blocked as his mother prepared for her upcoming medical treatment.
Ultimately, Zullo resigned on August 20, 2025, believing his termination was already a foregone conclusion. Notably, this resignation occurred just months before he would have qualified for significant retirement benefits, according to his claims.
The Post has reached out to Zullo for further comments.
