Former VP Sues Goldman Sachs: Excluded From Client Call Because 'He Sounded Too Gay'

By Elizabeth Vaughn | 8:30 PM on June 05, 2019

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Bloomberg reports that a former vice president at Goldman Sachs, William Littleton, sued the company over claims he had been “discriminated against for being gay and then fired him after he complained about it.” He had worked for the company for eight years and had received superior performance reviews. He also claims he held a “position of leadership among gay and lesbian employees at the firm.” Apparently, there is such a thing.

Littleton states that he was once excluded from a client call because “he sounded too gay.” Also, he claims that a “supervisor once asked, “What’s wrong with you? Do you act this way because you’re gay?”

According to Bloomberg:

In his complaint, Littleton claims he was subjected to demeaning remarks and that his compensation decreased in his later years at the bank, despite promotions and increased responsibilities. He complained to the bank’s employee relations department in May 2018. Months later he received a performance review with criticisms he claims were part of “a belated attempt to create a paper trail” and was told his last day at the bank would be Jan. 31, 2019, according to the complaint.

Littleton said that while he was at the bank he was involved as a leader in Goldman’s LGBT network. He started as a Goldman analyst after graduating from Amherst College in 2010.

Littleton, who lives in Manhattan, claims Goldman’s treatment of him violated New York state and city anti-discrimination laws. He’s seeking unspecified compensation from the bank plus punitive damages.

His court filing states that these incidents are an indication of the company’s “larger institutional problems. Unfortunately, Mr. Littleton’s termination at Goldman is not an isolated incident or exception to the rule at the bank or on Wall Street more broadly…Mr. Littleton was one of the most proud, active and vocal LGBTQ leaders at Goldman throughout his tenure.”

A spokesman for the company, Patrick Scanlan, issued a statement saying Littleton’s case is “without merit and called the claims baseless.”

Scanlan said,”Goldman Sachs has a sustained and proven commitment to diversity, and we are proud of the vibrant and diverse LGBTQ community at the firm. We strongly encourage all of our employees to bring their authentic selves to work, because it makes us a better firm.”

Todd Sears, runs a business network called “Out Leadership” told Bloomberg that “even the best companies still wrestle with discrimination issues. It would be disingenuous or untrue to say it doesn’t happen. A company can only do so much to create an environment. The people within that environment have to take ownership to make sure that it’s carried out day to day.”

Bloomberg notes that Goldman’s CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, is a member of Out Leadership’s global board.

Littleton’s attorney, David Gottlieb, said his “client’s experience isn’t unusual. To this day, Wall Street employees are hesitant to be open about their sexual orientation or raise concerns about discrimination for fear that they will face backlash and be treated as outsiders.”