Fashion

Zara Faces Discrimination Lawsuit From Ex Employee

by Jamie Cuccinelli

Another beloved brand has come under fire for alleged discrimination. A former Zara employee is suing the retailer, claiming that he was discriminated against and terminated for being a gay Jewish American, according to Reuters.

Ian Miller, a former attorney for Zara, has turned the tables on the company with a $40 million lawsuit that alleges he "was excluded from meetings, given smaller raises than co-workers and subjected to racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic remarks" during his term of employment, Reuters reports.

"Zara overlooked Mr. Miller’s stellar performance, marginalized his role in the company, and gave him lower raises than employees who fit the company’s preferred profile," Miller's attorney, David Sanford, said in a recent statement. The alleged racist and homophobic incidents included using Yiddish sayings, such as oy, negatively, dropping his bonuses between three and 27 percent, and circulating emails of tattooed penises and racist images, according to the New York Daily News.

Zara's parent company, Inditex SA, responded with a statement, saying, "We do not tolerate any behavior that is discriminatory or disrespectful, but value each individual’s contributions to our dynamic organization."

ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images

The case of Miller v. Zara USA Inc will go in front of the New York State Supreme Court within the coming months.

Bustle has reached out to both Ian Miller and Zara for comment and will update if they respond.

Image: Getty