JPMorgan Chase executive director Lorna Hajdini is pushing back on the lawsuit brought forth by a former staffer who accused her of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and racial harassment.
“Lorna categorically denies the allegations,” Hajdini said in a statement, through her lawyers, to the New York Post. “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.”
The suit, which was filed anonymously, alleges Hajdini forced John Doe into “non-consensual and humiliating sex acts” shortly after joining the JPMorgan leveraged-finance division in the spring of 2024. Doe also claimed Hajdini once groped him at his desk and confessed to repeatedly drugging him.
The plaintiff alleges he tried to decline getting drinks with Hajdini, to which she responded, “If you don’t fuck me soon, I’m going to ruin you … never forget, I fucking own you.”
Doe claimed Hajdini used a possible promotion to pressure him sexually. “You’re gonna need to earn it, my little Arab boy toy,” she allegedly told him.
Hajdini is accused of other instances of racial harassment, which include referring to him as “little brown boy.”
Doe claimed he ultimately acquiesced out of fear of retaliation or humiliation.
Doe alleges he was placed on involuntary leave after filing an internal complaint in May 2025, while Hajdini was not disciplined.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase confirmed that an investigation was conducted by the bank’s HR department and in-house legal team, but no evidence was found to support his claim.
“Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims,” the spokesperson said. “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.”
New York Post has identified Doe as 35-year-old Chirayu Rana, a principal at the investment firm Bregal Sagemount who did not report to Hajdini during his time on JPMorgan Chase’s leveraged-finance team.
Sources tell the New York Post that Rana attempted to negotiate a payoff worth “millions” in order to leave the bank after filing his complaint.
The court filing, first reported by the Daily Mail, has since been retracted for "corrections" by Rana’s attorneys.
JPMorgan Chase, which is accused of failing to properly investigate and retaliation in his suit, has denied those claims.
Rana is seeking damages for lost earnings, emotional distress, and reputational harm.
A trial date has not been set.
