Ex-JPMorgan banker expands sexual harassment, racism lawsuit, adds 3 defendants

By Jonathan Stempel Source: Reuters

Overview

The former JPMorgan Chase banker whose viral sexual harassment lawsuit drew widespread attention has added new claims and defendants, alleging that the largest U.S. bank's acceptance of racism and sexual coercion irreparably destroyed his career.

Chirayu Rana filed an expanded 82-page complaint on Monday, asserting that racism was ingrained in the culture of his otherwise all-white leveraged finance team. According to the complaint, his South Asian heritage "became the punchline for a stream of degrading jokes," including being called a "monkey" and "brown boy."

JPMorgan has previously stated it believes Rana's allegations are meritless. The bank and its lawyers had no immediate comment.

Key Allegations

• Racial Slurs and Harassment: Colleagues allegedly suggested Rana transact in rupees, and one texted that he should "run before we call ICEE {sic} on your family," referencing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• Sexual Coercion: Rana renewed allegations that defendant Lorna Hajdini, a JPMorgan executive director, coerced him into sex and demanded his submissiveness as a condition for career advancement, repeatedly stating she "owned" him.
• Career Destruction: Once a "leading" deal originator paid "well over" $2 million annually, Rana claims he has been "effectively blackballed." The complaint states: "His reputation has been destroyed, his professional relationships shattered, and the career he spent years building reduced to rubble. This was not an unintended consequence of defendants' misconduct. It was its intended result."

Multiple Cases Bring Unwanted Attention

Hajdini has denied Rana's claims and countersued him for defamation, asserting that his lies "wreaked havoc" on her life, subjected her to around-the-clock ridicule, and were designed to attract maximum press coverage. Lawyers for Hajdini did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This case is one of several involving JPMorgan employees that have permeated social media this year, generating unwanted attention for a bank that reported $37.6 billion in profit during the first half of 2026.

Other notable incidents include:

• JPMorgan challenging a $4.25 million arbitration award to a former wealth manager fired after expensing a Super Bowl platter.
• A former employee caught on video dumping out and then walking away with a commemorative trash can during a parade for the NBA champion New York Knicks.

Three New Defendants

Rana filed his lawsuit in Manhattan federal court after a state judge dismissed a version filed in April, allowing Rana and his new lawyers to add claims.

The new complaint adds JPMorgan managing directors Brandon Graffeo and Jon Wolter as defendants. Rana alleges that Graffeo "led" his degradation, and that both Graffeo and Wolter campaigned to poison his reputation in the private credit and leveraged finance industry after he resigned under pressure last October, leading to his subsequent employer firing him in April.

JPMorgan associate Kelly Crowe was also added as a defendant. Rana claims she called him "brown boy" and an "HR liability."

It remains unclear why some new allegations were not included in Rana's original complaint.

Legal Claims and Remedies

Rana's 21-count complaint seeks:

• Unspecified compensatory damages
• Punitive damages
• Front and back pay
• Other remedies from various defendants

The claims allege violations of:

• Federal civil rights laws
• The federal Family and Medical Leave Act
• New York state and city human rights laws

Specific counts include:

• Sexual and racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
• A defamation claim against JPMorgan, Graffeo, and Wolter
• A sexual assault claim against Hajdini

"JPMorgan has fed the public a false and misleading narrative," Rana's lawyer Jon Norinsberg said in a statement. "We intend to hold the defendants fully accountable in a court of law for the catastrophic harm they caused to Mr. Rana's career, reputation and life."

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis