A former longtime Vanguard Group worker has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the mutual fund big of age, gender and spiritual discrimination in firing him.

Joseph Rothman, who labored for 17 years in Vanguard’s municipal credit score analysis group, alleges the agency terminated his employment final yr, when he was 57, regardless of his sturdy efficiency, motivated by “illegal biases towards him grounded in his age, gender, and Jewish religion.”

Rothman, who labored as a senior analyst, is looking for financial damages that his lawyer stated would exceed $1 million, along with different compensation.

“Joe cherished his job and anticipated to work at Vanguard till retirement which wouldn’t be for no less than one other decade. He loved mentoring youthful, much less skilled teammates, however by no means anticipated to be discarded and changed by them,” his legal professional, Patricia V. Pierce, a companion with Weir Greenblatt Pierce LLP, informed ThinkAdvisor by way of e-mail Thursday.

“He really believes that there was no reputable motive for his termination,” Pierce stated. ”Quite he was terminated as a result of as an growing older Jewish male he didn’t match the administration profile that Vanguard needs to retain and reward.”

Vanguard denied the allegations. ”We consider the allegations are with out benefit,” the corporate stated in a press release emailed Thursday. ”Vanguard is dedicated to hiring and retaining a various workforce, and we don’t tolerate discrimination of any variety.”

Primarily based on Rothman’s “file of sustained, superior efficiency,” Vanguard administration in 2017 chosen him to “add depth” to the municipal credit score analysis group in its Arizona workplace, in accordance with the lawsuit, filed final week within the U.S. District Courtroom for Pennsylvania’s Jap District (Case 2:23-cv-01263-PD).

“Taking this chance, Rothman uprooted his household from suburban Philadelphia the place they’d a powerful group inside which to apply their Jewish religion and moved to Arizona,” the grievance says. “Nonetheless, from the outset of his employment at Vanguard, others had been uncomfortable with Rothman.”

‘Too New York’

Some at Vanguard considered Rothman as “too New York,” which Levine has stated was code for too Jewish, in accordance with the lawsuit. “Levine additionally stated that the discomfort had nothing to do with Rothman’s job efficiency however arose from his perceived ‘New York’ (Jewish)-ness.”

After Levine retired and Rothman transferred to Arizona, Vanguard began treating him in another way, passing him over for promotions that went to “youthful, much less certified people” who turned his supervisors, the lawsuit says.

When discussing the relocation to Arizona, Rothman shared that he was happy to discover a residence close to a synagogue, and a Vanguard principal, Ron Mintz, responded, “So, you’re nonetheless doing the Jewy,” in accordance with the lawsuit.

When Rothman informed his supervisor about Mintz’s comment, the supervisor discouraged him from informing human sources or others in administration, in accordance with the swimsuit.