Fired by Citi for being too attractive
Source: Agencies |
June 5, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A WOMAN who worked as a business banking officer in New York Citigroup Inc has filed a lawsuit against the bank accusing it of firing her for being too attractive.
The bank believes the lawsuit should be dismissed, or else sent to arbitration, court records show.
Debrahlee Lorenzana, a 33-year-old mother, alleged that management had warned her not to dress like her female co-workers because her "shapeliness" upset her "easily distracted" male colleagues and supervisors.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2009 but it received new attention after The Village Voice newspaper published an article about the 1.68-meter, 57-kilogram Lorenzana.
According to the complaint, soon after beginning work in September 2008 at a Citibank branch in Manhattan's Chrysler building, Lorenzana was advised by supervisors not to wear turtlenecks, pencil skirts and fitted suits because her figure made such attire "too distracting" for male workers to bear.
Lorenzana said management told her that female co-workers were not similarly told what to wear because their "general unattractiveness rendered moot their sartorial choices."
Efforts to dress down did not end management's complaints, the single mother told the Voice. "I could have worn a paper bag, and it would not have mattered," she said.
Lorenzana was eventually fired in August 2009, for reasons including "inappropriate" attire and a failure to meet new account quotas, the complaint said.
Citigroup rejected Lorenzana's charges. "Her termination was solely performance-based and not at all related to her appearance or attire," the bank said in a statement.
The bank believes the lawsuit should be dismissed, or else sent to arbitration, court records show.
Debrahlee Lorenzana, a 33-year-old mother, alleged that management had warned her not to dress like her female co-workers because her "shapeliness" upset her "easily distracted" male colleagues and supervisors.
The lawsuit was filed in November 2009 but it received new attention after The Village Voice newspaper published an article about the 1.68-meter, 57-kilogram Lorenzana.
According to the complaint, soon after beginning work in September 2008 at a Citibank branch in Manhattan's Chrysler building, Lorenzana was advised by supervisors not to wear turtlenecks, pencil skirts and fitted suits because her figure made such attire "too distracting" for male workers to bear.
Lorenzana said management told her that female co-workers were not similarly told what to wear because their "general unattractiveness rendered moot their sartorial choices."
Efforts to dress down did not end management's complaints, the single mother told the Voice. "I could have worn a paper bag, and it would not have mattered," she said.
Lorenzana was eventually fired in August 2009, for reasons including "inappropriate" attire and a failure to meet new account quotas, the complaint said.
Citigroup rejected Lorenzana's charges. "Her termination was solely performance-based and not at all related to her appearance or attire," the bank said in a statement.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
