Brian Larson, an openly gay senior associate at JPMorgan Chase, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging he was pressured to resign after enduring months of homophobic discrimination from a supervisor. According to his complaint, the mistreatment escalated after he complained about the discrimination, ultimately resulting in an ultimatum to quit or face dismissal. The case raises significant questions about workplace discrimination and retaliation within one of the world's largest financial institutions, particularly regarding how major companies handle complaints from LGBTQ+ employees and those involved in diversity initiatives.

Larson initially excelled at JPMorgan through its Chase Associate Program, receiving top marks and praise as an "all-star" performer. However, his involvement as co-chair of Pride Tri-State, an employee resource group for LGBTQ+ staff, allegedly became a source of conflict with his supervisor, who told him to separate his "gay job" from his work and warned that "DEI wasn't going to save" him. After receiving strong reviews initially, Larson claims he was removed from projects and subsequently rated poorly across all categories. The psychological toll was severe, including panic attacks, depression, insomnia, weight gain and a resurgence of trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) that he had not experienced since childhood. The situation came to a head in October 2023 when, following an HR dispute over approximately £30 in disputed Uber expenses from Pride events, Larson was allegedly given an ultimatum to resign or be terminated. JPMorgan has denied the allegations, stating that an internal investigation found no substantiating evidence.