Fired For Being Gorgeous?

Posted by Stacy Cole on

pretty

(This story is from www.CBS.com)

This woman says she was fired from a Manhattan bank for being too gorgeous. 

Debrahlee Lorenzana, 33, has filed a lawsuit against Citibank claiming she was the victim of a hostile work environment simply because of the way she dressed on the job. 

"I couldn't wait to start working at Citibank," Lorenzana said. 

She said she felt that way back in September of 2008 in Citibank's Chrysler Building branch. But Lorenzana said it quickly turned in to a nightmare. She said she was told by her bosses to tone down her wardrobe. 

"We don't want you to wear turtlenecks; we don't want you to wear pencil skirts; we don't want you to wear fitted suits or even heels," she said. 

Lorenzana argued that other women in the same branch wore even shorter skirts and showed ample cleavage. She said her superiors at Citibank said her case was different because she had a better body than most women. 

"What they said to me is (other women's) body types and my body type were different and because of my body type I drew too much attention," she said. 

Lorenzana said she went to human resources, but that infuriated her bosses. She said they kept harping on her appearance. 

After finally getting the transfer she had asked for, she was fired in August of 2009. Poor job performance was the explanation. A Citibank representative told CBS 2 HD there is a business-appropriate dress code for the company but would not provide details or the writtenpolicy. CBS 2 HD also learned managers have discretion when it comes to enforcing it. 

All Citibank would say about Lorenzana was: "We believe this lawsuit is without merit. (We) cannot comment more specifically on this litigation, this formeremployee's overall performance, or the reasons for her termination." 

As Lorenzana sues for lost wages and emotional distress, she hopes to teach Citibank a lesson: don't desire me, don't discriminate against me. Just let me do my job.

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