Who is Lorna Hajdini? JPMorgan executive faces harassment, racial abuse claims; bank says ‘no merit’

The lawsuit claims a pattern of alleged abuse within the bank’s leveraged finance division that reportedly began in 2024. JP Morgan has denied the allegations insisting that there is no merit to claims. 

However, JPMorgan Chase has denied the allegations. The company said an internal investigation found no evidence to support the claims made in the lawsuit.

The Allegations: Coercion and Racial Slurs

According to the legal filing, the professional relationship between the plaintiff and Hajdini escalated into a series of coercive incidents. The complaint alleges that Hajdini used her seniority to threaten the junior employee’s career progression.

Allegations made by the complainant in the lawsuit highlight several instances of sexual coercion, injection of roofies also known as date rape drugs and several dergotary racist remarks amid threats of professional sabotage. 

The filing claims Hajdini explicitly threatened to block the plaintiff’s promotion if he did not comply with sexual demands. “I own you! If you don’t cater to my sexual demands, I will make you pay,” plaintiff was allegedly told by Hajdini as per a Daily Mail report.

The complaint alleges that Hajdini used racially charged language to harass and verbally abuse the complainant where she would repeatedly tell plaintiff that he needs on her side because why would management otherwise even consider promoting a “Brown boy Indian” to lead originations.

The filing also claims he was administered an “erection-enabling pharmaceutical substance” without his consent to facilitate sexual acts. The plaintiff alleges that these interactions created a hostile work environment characterised by repeated instances of harassment.

JPMorgan executive denies allegations, bank says probe found ‘no merit’ in claims

Lorna Hajdini has strongly denied the allegations levelled against her, saying she “categorically” rejects all claims made in the lawsuit. In a statement shared with the New York Post and issued through her lawyers, Hajdini said, “Lorna categorically denies the allegations. She never engaged in any inappropriate conduct with this individual of any kind and has never even been to the location where the alleged sexual assault supposedly took place.”

Who is Lorna Hajdini?

Lorna Hajdini is a long-time veteran of the American banking giant. Based on her LinkedIn profile and court documents, Hajdini currently serves as an Executive Director in the Leveraged Finance division at JPMorgan Chase.

Hajdini has reportedly been with JPMorgan for nearly 15 years and even served as vice President in her previous role that gave her significant exposure to sectors including Pharma, Medtech, Logistics, and Aerospace.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Statistics from the NYU Stern School of Business. She also completed a program in Private Equity and Venture Capital at Harvard Business School Executive Education.

JPMorgan’s official response

In its first official statement following the lawsuit’s public filing, JPMorgan Chase has rejected the allegations in their entirety. “Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims,” the bank mentioned in a statement.

The bank noted that while numerous other employees cooperated with their internal investigation, the plaintiff refused to participate and declined to provide facts or documentation to support his allegations.  

The firm maintains that its internal review found no evidence to substantiate the claims made in the lawsuit.
“Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims. 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,” a spokesperson for the bank said, Daily Mail reported.