Francis Abanga, an African-American advisor who formerly worked at J.P. Morgan Securities, filed a complaint and a jury demand last month against his ex-employer alleging racial discrimination after they pressed him to accept a position in a predominately black area of New York City because it was the “right ‘fit’” for him.
Abanga started his financial career as a personal banker and became a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities in 2011. He later briefly left the company, but returned in 2014 after he was recruited to cover four J.P. Morgan branches in the Bronx: two in the Castle Hill area and two in the Parkchester area.
According to statements made in the complaint, Abanga’s performance results were great in the three years he worked in those locations. Eventually, the supervisor who hired Abanga was transferred and Abanga worked under a new supervisor who, in March 2017, encouraged Abanga to consider a position as a private client advisor with J.P. Morgan’s Harlem branch.
Abanga had information to believe the Harlem branch did not manage as much money as the branches where he was working at the time, which were growing. So he declined the proposal to relocate to Harlem.
Nearly two months later, the supervisor told Abanga he would no longer be covering the Castle Hill branches, according to the complaint. Abanga asked to keep the Castle Hill branches instead of the Parkchester branches, and his supervisor allegedly told him that was not an option.
According to the complaint, Abanga was “completely baffled” because he was doing well at all of the branches. The complaint stated that Abanga was made aware the Castle Hill branches were taken away and given to a Hispanic professional in order to appeal to the large Hispanic community in Castle Hill. Abanga also came to learn that the individual who replaced him was not as qualified as him.
Abanga heard about a private client advisor position in the Fort Washington branch on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and sought approval to apply. His supervisor allegedly rejected the request and told Abanga the largely Jewish and Hispanic demographics there “would not support him.”
Next, Abanga requested approval to relocate to another profitable branch, this time in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. But he was rejected because allegedly the supervisor believed the Indian/Pakistani or white demographics would not support Abanga, either. Abanga’s supervisor again encouraged him to go to the Harlem branch.
Later, Abanga learned the Throggs Neck position was given to an Indian professional with “lesser qualifications.”
According to the complaint, Abanga became convinced he was being pressed to work in Harlem, a predominantly black area of Manhattan, because he is African-American and black.