Wells Fargo Advisors is being sued by a client associate who alleges that the firm did not protect her from persistent mistreatment by a male financial advisor, Advisor Hub reports.
Dinah Mirson, who worked at a branch office in Palm Beach, Florida, has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Mirson joined Wells from predecessor firm Wachovia Securities in 2008 and was discharged earlier this month. She said that in 2012, she began exclusively reporting to Wells advisor Jeffrey Bowman, who oversaw about $820 million in client assets. Bowman died last year at the age of 49.
According to her lawsuit, Bowman was “verbally and psychologically” abusive and had a reputation for treating women employees worse than male subordinates. She said that the firm ignored her complaints about him and turned “a blind eye” toward his behavior, which included belittling her, reducing her pay, and treated her like a “second class citizen” due to being female.
“As a successful banker in a male dominated industry … Mr. Bowman evolved from being demanding but tolerable to managing through intimidation, harassment, condescension, threat, and the future promise of money,” the complaint stated.
Mirson said developed post-traumatic stress disorder and reaggravated Crohn’s disease and colitis because of how she was treated. She was granted medical leave in 2022 and said Bowman’s harassment became worse after she took leave. Mirson said it continued despite an internal Wells investigation of her complaints against him. She was still on leave at the time of her discharge.
“It is not surprising that Bank ignored Mr. Bowman’s misconduct and protected him as he was one of the Bank’s largest rainmakers,” Mirson wrote in the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges discrimination in violation of the Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992 and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mirson seeks recovery of damages for past and future loss of earnings and benefits, interest on those damages, damages for emotional pain and suffering, punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interest, and recovery of her legal fees.
A Wells Fargo spokesperson said the firm is reviewing the complaint and could not immediately comment.
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