Spain: Former lawyer for Zara accuses clothing chain’s executives of anti-Semitism

The lawsuit also alleges racist behavior and homophobic harassment.

Via Forbes:

On Wednesday, lawyers for Ian Jack Miller, the first and only corporate attorney for Zara’s U.S. and Canada business, filed a $40 million discrimination suit in New York’s Supreme Court alleging he was fired because he’s Jewish, American and gay.

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Miller says he kept his Jewish background secret because of what he saw as rife anti-Semitism. For example, the suit alleges the CEO of Zara’s American business, a close confidant of Ortega’s, repeatedly described the retail chain’s Jewish landlords and Jewish real estate developers as “los judios” or “the Jews.”

As soon as top executives at Zara’s New York office learned Miller was Jewish, he was targeted, excluded, then ultimately fired after seven years with the company, he says.

Via NY Daily News:

Miller says the discrimination against him intensified after May 2013 when a new paralegal mentioned to other executives that Miller was Jewish.

Prior to that, Miller says, he kept that a secret because the anti-Semitism tolerated in the company was so pronounced.

After the disclosure, he says, senior managers started to micromanage and isolate him from his global colleagues and coworkers started using Yiddishisms around him like “Oy” and his bonuses dropped from as much as 27% to 3%. Increases to his base pay dropped as well.

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"We believe the behavior of the company and many of its executives is absolutely outrageous," Harwin said.

"Their treatment, including the open denigration of Jews, is something that no employee should have to face."

There was no immediate response from Zara.