A former Wells Fargo Bank employee, aged 65, has voluntarily dismissed her lawsuit against the bank, in which she claimed wrongful termination based on age and for raising concerns about unsafe COVID-19 protocols at her branch.
Vanita Dhupar’s attorney filed a request for the complaint’s dismissal with prejudice, indicating that it cannot be refiled. The court papers do not disclose whether a settlement was reached or if there are other reasons behind Dhupar’s decision. However, Wells Fargo attorneys previously mentioned a scheduled mediation session in March.
Dhupar filed the lawsuit on August 29th, 2021, alleging harassment, retaliation, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, failure to provide reasonable accommodations, engage in the interactive process, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Wells Fargo previously stated its stance on the lawsuit, emphasizing zero tolerance for discrimination and retaliation while highlighting their strong equal employment opportunity policies and extensive health and safety precautions implemented during the pandemic to protect employees and customers.
The lawsuit states that Dhupar, residing in Placentia, was hired as a teller in 1996 and later promoted to service manager in 2004. While the average age of Wells Fargo managers decreased to around 45, Dhupar remained one of the few managers over 60.
In 2019, a Wells Fargo assistant manager incorrectly informed the staff that Dhupar would retire by March that year, which the plaintiff believes was part of a scheme to push her out. Despite receiving accolades for her work and seeking promotions, Dhupar was never promoted again, unlike younger employees who were given training and advancement opportunities.
The suit further alleges that management mistreated Dhupar after she raised concerns about the bank’s handling of employee health and safety during the pandemic. As a frontline worker, Dhupar risked her life to maintain branch operations.
However, management allegedly ignored and punished Dhupar for raising safety-related complaints, disregarding rules set by relevant authorities. When several employees contracted COVID-19 in November 2020, appropriate notice and safety measures were not implemented for the remaining workers.
In December 2020, Dhupar reported an incident where a well-known customer had sexually harassed and exposed a teller to lewd photos in the parking lot. However, the district manager seemed more concerned about the subject line of Dhupar’s email than the incident itself, indicating a potential motive to suppress evidence of sexual harassment.
In retaliation for raising concerns about COVID-19 and sexual harassment, management changed Dhupar’s schedule, accused her of falsifying time cards, and treated her differently. These actions led to heightened anxiety, eventually prompting Dhupar to take stress leave in January 2021. Nonetheless, management continued to contact her and falsely accused her of abandoning her job two months later.
Dhupar was ultimately terminated in June 2021, alleging that her age and activism regarding coronavirus safety and the teller’s sexual harassment played a role in her dismissal.
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