Philippa, the wife of San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Lawrence Okoye, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging harassment and discrimination at her former job. The suit was first reported by the NY Post. The allegations have not been proven in court.
According to the NY Post, Philippa, 27, worked as a senior investment adviser at the Manhattan office of deVere Group, starting in October 2013. She says she was the only woman in the office among about 21 male coworkers. Her suit alleges that her boss, Benjamin, wanted the office run like the films “Boiler Room” and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and that sexist and crude comments were common from her first day.
The lawsuit also claims that colleagues mocked her relationship with Lawrence, who is Black and is a British Olympic athlete. Philippa, who is white, alleges coworkers made remarks disapproving of white women dating Black men, and says one comment suggested she keep her last name if she married him because of how it would look to clients.
Philippa says she complained to her boss and was later demoted and then fired. She is suing for damages. Her attorney, Kenneth Katz, said the suit cannot repair the emotional distress his client has experienced but that the employer must be held accountable.
The NY Post reported that deVere referred calls to Benjamin, who did not return a message seeking comment.
Source: NY Post
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