With all the lowbrow fluff shoveled at us by the news media these days, it's high time we revisited the significant story of Debrahlee Lorenzana. Sure, it may not have the titillation of the Gulf oil spill, or the cheap sensationalism of the Supreme Court's ruling in Bilski, et al., v. Kappos, but this is vitally important to the health and welfare of our fragile workplace communities. Lorenzana, referred to in some circles as the Sexy Banker, has turned to the New York Division of Human Rights for redress of her grievances against Citigroup, an institution she accuses of firing her because her winsomeness proved too distracting to other employees.
"No woman should have to suffer what Debrahlee has had to endure," her new attorney Gloria Allred said at a press conference today. "And we are here to let Citibank know that we will fight back against this financial giant and we will win." And when Lorenzana took the mic, she set the record straight about allegations that she's just trying to become a reality show star. "If I wanted a career in the star industry, I would not have gone to get my licenses as an investment banker," she explained.
As for her participation in a TV documentary about plastic surgery, during which she make remarks such as, "I want to be tits on a stick," Lorenzana told the media, "With that show, I was very young, and I was directed by the director of the show on how they wanted it to be done. Now I learned my lesson, especially with media and TV." In addition to filing a complaint against Citibank with the state Division of Human Rights, Lorenzana has also taken legal action against Citibank directly. The bank issued this snarky statement this morning:
"Unlike Ms. Lorenzana, Citibank does not intend to try this case in the media and we reiterate that her termination was based on poor performance. Although we can't speak to her previous attention-seeking activities, her current attempts to gain personal publicity are as transparent as her legal claims. We remain confident that when all of the facts and documentation are presented, the claim will be dismissed."
