A Manhattan civil lawsuit filed this week accuses a senior JPMorgan Chase executive of using her power in the office to pressure a married junior banker into months of nonconsensual sexual encounters, including alleged drugging and racial taunts. The plaintiff is identified only as "John Doe" and is suing both the executive and the bank. The allegations have not been proven in court and now set up a high-stakes fight over workplace power, internal probes and what the banker says was retaliation when he spoke up.
According to the complaint filed in New York County Supreme Court on April 27, the suit names 37-year-old Leveraged Finance Executive Director Lorna Hajdini and JPMorgan Chase as defendants and seeks compensatory and punitive damages for emotional distress and lost career opportunities, as reported by Dallas Express. The filing, that outlet notes, claims the behavior started shortly after the plaintiff joined the team in March 2024 and says witnesses are cited to back up parts of his story.
What The Complaint Alleges
The complaint, as described by Daily Mail, lays out a pattern of repeated unwanted touching, explicit sexual demands and threats that the plaintiff's Wall Street career would be wrecked if he refused. It also alleges that Hajdini admitted to drugging him with Rohypnol and an "erection-enabling" drug on multiple occasions and quotes her as saying, "If you don't f**k me soon, I'm going to ruin you. Never forget, I f**king own you."
Timeline And Internal Complaint
The plaintiff says he joined JPMorgan as a Senior VP/Director in March 2024 and that the alleged conduct escalated through late 2024. He then filed a written internal complaint in May 2025, according to reporting by India Today. The lawsuit claims that within days of lodging that report he was placed on involuntary leave, shut out of company systems and hit with anonymous threats, including calls that referenced immigration authorities.
JPMorgan’s Response
JPMorgan has pushed back hard. The bank told reporters that its internal investigation found no evidence to support the claims and that the complainant refused to participate in the process, according to NDTV. "Following an investigation, we do not believe there is any merit to these claims," a JPMorgan spokesperson said.
John Doe's attorney, Daniel J. Kaiser, told the media his client has been left "devastated personally and professionally" and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The suit seeks lost earnings, compensation for emotional distress and punitive damages, as detailed by India Today. The complaint also asks the court for injunctive relief that would force changes to the bank's internal reporting systems and workplace safety practices.
The case hits JPMorgan at a politically and reputationally sensitive moment. The bank has already taken heat over how it handled ties with powerful clients accused of sexual abuse, and it agreed to multimillion-dollar settlements in litigation related to Jeffrey Epstein, coverage of which has included reporting by Al Jazeera. That backdrop has only amplified scrutiny on how major financial players police the conduct of their top brass.
Legal Stakes For The Bank
Legal analysts note that a lawsuit framed as a pattern of coercion tied directly to career advancement puts both the individual executive and the corporation at risk, since courts often treat the actions of senior managers as the actions of the company itself, according to analysis in Lawyer Monthly. Proceeding under the pseudonym "John Doe" is common in cases involving alleged sexual abuse, although it can make early discovery and the public record more complicated.
The civil case is now pending in New York County Supreme Court and does not include any criminal charges at this stage. Both the bank and Hajdini are expected to fight the factual allegations in court, as reported by Dallas Express. Upcoming filings and scheduling orders will determine whether the dispute heads quickly into discovery, gets bogged down in motions or ultimately lands before a jury.
