A former employee of Merrill Lynch has filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against the company and its parent company, Bank of America Corp, as well as against his boss and a human resources manager. The former managing director claims that he faced discrimination as a Mormon. He accuses his former boss and a human resources manager of not doing anything to stop the religious discrimination he was experiencing after he complained to them about it.
The employee also complained to the company about the boss and human resources manager, but the company told his boss and the human resource manager about the complaints, which was not in line with their policy. The man left the company last spring after working there for 25 years.
The lawsuit was filed this week in California Superior Court in Riverside. In the lawsuit, the man accuses his former employer of religious discrimination, harassment and retaliation. He is also claiming wrongful termination. He is suing for punitive damages, unpaid wages, unused vacation time, damages for pain and suffering and attorneys’ and other court fees.
According to a piece in Investment News by Darla Mercado, in the man’s lawsuit, he claims that an anonymous survey given to employees revealed religious bigotry by one or two individuals against Mormons and particularly against this managing director. The man recruited workers from Brigham Young University, which is the school he graduated from and is also affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. After the man left the company, he filed a discrimination complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Source:
Merrill vet sues company for religious discrimination (Investment News)