Ex-VP at Goldman Sachs says he faced bias for being gay, was fired for complaining

On Wednesday, William Jarred Littleton, 31, who has worked with the bank for eight years, filed a complaint demanding a jury trial, alleging that the bank fired him "directly after he complained to Employee Relations (“ER”) that he had been subjected to numerous incidents of homophobia and discrimination, including being excluded from a client call because 'he sounded too gay' and being asked 'What’s wrong with you? Do you act this way because you’re gay?'"

Littleton, who claimed to be "one of the Bank’s most senior LGBTQ leaders and an eight year veteran employee", said despite years of "outstanding" performance reviews and continuous praise regarding his bright future at the bank, he had been fired by those who he complained engaged in discriminatory conduct.

The complaint goes on to say Littleton’s termination at Goldman was not an isolated incident or exception to the rule at the Bank or on Wall Street more broadly.

"As stated in an Institutional Investor article titled Gay on Wall Street: An Investigation, “[a] veil of vulnerability unifies LGBT experiences in financial services, and sets the group apart from many straight professionals.”1 Wall Street has long been a place where people have been hesitant to openly express their sexual orientation for fear of backlash. As stated in Gay on Wall Street, 'Wall Street compels more covering from its employees than less conservative industries.'," it adds.

Littleton has sought "declaratory, injunctive and equitable relief, as well as monetary damages, to redress Defendants’ unlawful employment practices".