John Doe vs. Lorna Hajdini and JPMorgan Chase, Sexual Assault, Drugging, and Racial Abuse Allegations Full Case Breakdown

This article covers a recently filed lawsuit. Information is limited to the complaint as filed and JPMorgan’s public response. This page will be updated as the case develops.

A junior employee identified anonymously as John Doe filed a lawsuit in the New York County Supreme Court accusing Lorna Hajdini, an executive director in JPMorgan Chase’s Leveraged Finance division, of sexual harassment, coercion, drugging, and racial abuse spanning several months. JPMorgan Chase is also named as a defendant for allegedly enabling the misconduct and retaliating after Doe reported it. The bank denies the allegations. No verdict or settlement exists — the case is active and newly filed.

Quick Facts — John Doe vs. Lorna Hajdini & JPMorgan Chase

Field	Detail
Plaintiff	John Doe (anonymous — identity protected by court)
Defendants	Lorna Hajdini; JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Case Type	Sexual Harassment / Racial Discrimination / Retaliation
Court	New York County Supreme Court
Date Filed	April 2026 (exact filing date TBD — case number not yet publicly confirmed in docket)
Legal Claims	Sexual assault, hostile work environment, racial discrimination, retaliation
Damages Sought	Lost earnings, emotional distress, reputational harm, punitive damages, institutional reforms
Current Stage	Active — complaint filed, defendants have not yet responded
Plaintiff’s Attorney	Daniel J. Kaiser
JPMorgan’s Position	Denies all claims; states internal investigation found no supporting evidence
Last Updated	April 30, 2026

What Is the John Doe vs. Lorna Hajdini Lawsuit About?

This is a workplace sexual harassment and racial discrimination lawsuit filed in the New York County Supreme Court under New York State Human Rights Law and related civil statutes. The plaintiff — a junior male employee proceeding anonymously as John Doe — alleges that a senior executive used her position of power to coerce him into non-consensual sexual acts, subjected him to repeated racial abuse, and threatened his career when he refused to comply.

According to reports citing the filing, the alleged abuse began shortly after Doe joined the firm in March 2024 and escalated over time. Doe describes himself as an Asian male employee. The complaint alleges the misconduct was not isolated — it was a sustained pattern tied directly to his professional advancement.

The complaint also names JPMorgan Chase as a defendant, alleging the company failed in its duty to protect the employee after he raised concerns internally. When Doe filed an internal complaint in May 2025, the lawsuit alleges the bank did not protect him — it retaliated against him instead. Cases of this kind, where an employer is accused of enabling a hostile work environment and punishing an employee for reporting it, fall squarely under New York’s workplace protection laws, which are among the strongest in the country. You can read more about how workplace harassment claims work in our guide to employment discrimination lawsuits on AllAboutLawyer.com.

Who Are John Doe and Lorna Hajdini?

John Doe is a junior banker at JPMorgan Chase who joined the firm’s Leveraged Finance division in March 2024. He is proceeding anonymously in court, a protection granted to plaintiffs in sexual misconduct cases where safety or retaliation concerns exist. His attorney, Daniel J. Kaiser, stated that his client has been “devastated personally and professionally” by the ordeal. The plaintiff has reportedly been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and has struggled to find new employment due to alleged reputational damage caused by JPMorgan’s “aggressively negative” references.

Lorna Hajdini is an executive director in JPMorgan Chase’s Leveraged Finance division, based in New York. According to a FINRA BrokerCheck report, she is listed under CRD# 5951371 and has been registered with J.P. Morgan Securities LLC since October 3, 2011. She became vice president in 2018 and was promoted to executive director in 2021. She graduated from New York University’s Stern School of Business and later attended Harvard Business School Executive Education. Hajdini remains employed at JPMorgan Chase and has not publicly responded to the lawsuit’s specific allegations as of the date of this article.

JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States by assets. A company spokesperson said, “Following an investigation, we don’t believe there’s any merit to these claims,” and added that several employees cooperated with the internal review while the complainant allegedly refused to participate and declined to provide central facts. These are the bank’s allegations — not established findings.

This case connects to a broader pattern of employment discrimination complaints in the financial sector, which you can explore further in our coverage of Wall Street workplace misconduct lawsuits on AllAboutLawyer.com.

What Does John Doe Allege Against Lorna Hajdini and JPMorgan?

The following are allegations from the complaint as filed. They are unproven. No court has made any findings. All claims below are attributed to the plaintiff’s filing.

According to the complaint, Doe alleges:

• Hajdini subjected him to repeated unwanted physical contact beginning in May 2024, including touching his leg near his desk and making explicit sexual remarks
• She used career threats to coerce compliance, allegedly telling him his promotion to executive director depended on “pleasing” her
• She threatened him directly, allegedly stating, “If you don’t f*** me soon, I’m going to ruin you, never forget, I f***ing own you”
• She allegedly drugged him with Rohypnol (known as “roofies”) and other substances without his knowledge, according to the complaint, in order to facilitate non-consensual sexual encounters
• She directed repeated racial slurs at him, mocking his ethnicity and family background, and allegedly questioned whether management would want a “Brown boy Indian” leading originations
• She misused her executive authority to gain unauthorized access to his personal bank account in order to track his movements
• After he filed an internal complaint in May 2025, JPMorgan placed him on involuntary leave and locked him out of company systems within days
• He later received anonymous threatening phone calls, including references to US immigration enforcement

JPMorgan Chase denies all of these allegations and states its internal investigation found no supporting evidence.

What Is at Stake in This Lawsuit?

The lawsuit seeks damages for lost earnings, emotional distress, and reputational harm, as well as punitive damages and reforms to the bank’s internal reporting and safety practices.

No specific dollar amount for damages has been confirmed in the filing based on available reporting. Under New York State Human Rights Law and applicable civil statutes, sexual harassment and racial discrimination plaintiffs can seek compensatory damages (covering actual losses like lost wages and medical costs), punitive damages (designed to punish egregious conduct), and injunctive relief (which in this context means forcing the employer to change its internal policies and procedures).

The retaliation claim against JPMorgan Chase is legally significant on its own. Under New York law, employers cannot punish employees for making good-faith internal complaints about harassment or discrimination. If Doe can show that his involuntary leave and system lockout followed directly from his complaint, that alone constitutes a separate legal violation — independent of whether the underlying harassment allegations are proven.

What Happens Next in This Case?

JPMorgan Chase and Lorna Hajdini will have the opportunity to respond formally to the complaint — likely by filing an answer or a motion to dismiss. No response has been filed as of April 30, 2026.

Milestone	Date
Complaint Filed	April 2026
Defendants’ Response Due	TBD — standard response window begins upon formal service
Discovery Phase	TBD — follows initial pleadings
Next Scheduled Hearing	TBD — no hearing date confirmed as of April 30, 2026
Trial or Settlement	TBD — employment cases of this complexity typically take 1–3 years to resolve

Cases like this — involving a named executive, a major financial institution, and multiple categories of alleged misconduct — rarely resolve quickly. Discovery alone can take a year or more. The case will likely involve depositions of JPMorgan’s internal investigators, review of Doe’s personnel file, and examination of the bank’s complaint-handling process. Watch the New York County Supreme Court civil docket for case updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who filed the lawsuit and why? 

According to the complaint, a junior JPMorgan Chase employee identified as John Doe filed the suit in New York County Supreme Court. He alleges that executive director Lorna Hajdini sexually assaulted him, drugged him, subjected him to racial abuse, and threatened his career over a period beginning in March 2024 — and that JPMorgan retaliated against him when he reported it internally in May 2025.

What court is handling this case?

 The lawsuit was filed in the New York County Supreme Court, which is New York State’s primary trial court for civil cases. Despite its name, it is not an appellate court — it is where complex civil litigation in Manhattan is heard at the trial level.

What is the current status of the case?

 The case is active and newly filed. As of April 30, 2026, the defendants — Lorna Hajdini and JPMorgan Chase — have not yet filed a formal response. The court has not made any rulings, and no hearing dates have been scheduled publicly.

How much is John Doe seeking in damages? 

The lawsuit seeks damages for lost earnings, emotional distress, and reputational harm, as well as punitive damages. No specific dollar figure has been confirmed in available reporting of the complaint.

Can I read the court documents? 

The complaint was filed in New York County Supreme Court. New York civil court records are publicly accessible through the New York State Unified Court System’s e-filing portal (NYSCEF). Search for the case under plaintiff name or defendant name. Some documents may be sealed or restricted where they involve the anonymous plaintiff’s identity.

What does JPMorgan say about these allegations?

 JPMorgan Chase stated that following an internal investigation, it does not believe there is any merit to the claims, and that the complainant refused to participate in the investigation and declined to provide facts central to his allegations. These are the bank’s characterizations — the court will weigh them against Doe’s evidence.

Why is the plaintiff anonymous? 

New York courts permit plaintiffs in sexual misconduct cases to proceed under pseudonyms when they can show a risk of harm, retaliation, or where their identity would itself cause damage. The complaint states the accuser remains anonymous due to safety concerns. The identity of John Doe has not been disclosed in any verified reporting.

Does this case involve criminal charges?

 No. This is a civil lawsuit, not a criminal prosecution. John Doe filed a civil complaint seeking monetary damages and institutional reforms. The allegations — including drugging and sexual assault — could theoretically prompt a separate criminal investigation by law enforcement, but no criminal charges against Lorna Hajdini have been reported as of the date of this article.

Sources & References

• New York County Supreme Court Civil Docket — search NYSCEF for case under Lorna Hajdini or JPMorgan Chase (case number TBD — not yet publicly confirmed)
• Daily Mail (April 29–30, 2026) — original reporting citing court complaint

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against verified news reporting citing the New York County Supreme Court complaint on April 30, 2026. Last Updated: April 30, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Information about this ongoing legal case is based on publicly available court records and verified reporting. All allegations described in this article have been attributed to the plaintiff’s complaint and have not been proven in court. For advice regarding a particular legal situation, consult a qualified attorney.