A Citi staffer who was fired for allegedly saying it was a “nightmare” to work with Indians is suing the bank, claiming she faced discrimination herself over her menopausal symptoms and long COVID conditions.
Ann Watson, former senior vice president in Citi’s Finance Solutions Group, slapped the bank with a lawsuit filed in London after she was fired in 2023.
During an internal virtual job interview, Watson allegedly told an interviewer of Indian heritage: “The project failed because I was working with a team of Indians. No offense to you, Kapil, but you know what Indians are like to work with. It’s a nightmare.”
In the suit, Watson alleged she was unfairly dismissed and discriminated against for her sex, age and disabilities – including menopause and long COVID-19 symptoms like brain fog, memory loss and uncharacteristic behavior.
She is seeking compensation for unfair dismissal.
Citi denied the allegations. The bank declined to comment.
The bank claimed that after Watson made the alleged racist comment, she was placed in an online waiting room.
When the interview resumed, she allegedly said: “Now it’s your chance, Kapil, to get me back.”
Watson claimed she was “shocked” when, nearly a month after the interview, Citi’s human resources team told her she was facing an accusation of making a racist comment.
“I was horrified to hear these as I would not blame a culture or country for any kind of failure or direct any such comments toward an interview panel that I was applying for a role with,” she said in a witness statement for a London hearing on the case.
Watson was apologetic, though she claimed she could not remember the alleged derogatory comment.
“I did not deny making the comments as I simply could not recall as a result of my long COVID-19 and menopausal symptoms,” she said.
Rather, she alleged she was let go because of her medical conditions at 55 years old. The “too harsh” firing did not take into account her 12 years of service at the bank, Watson argued.
Citi said its investigation into Watson was fair and impartial, and stood by the decision to fire her.
Her alleged symptoms could not have “made or contributed to the claimant making racist comments,” lawyers for the bank said.
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