Chirayu Rana used legal chatbot for advice before filing sexual harassment allegation against JPMorgan executive Lorna Hajdini: ‘Do I have a valid claim?’
A former JPMorgan employee who has accused a senior executive of sexual harassment took advice from an online legal chatbot when describing similar allegations, The New York Post reports.Indian-origin Chirayu Rana, whose lawsuit has now been withdrawn, alleged that executive director Lorna Hajdini forced him to perform abusive sexual acts, said to be the case when he used the legal advice platform AskALawyerOnCall.com around July 2024, about 10 months before his claims went public.
In the exchange, a user named Rana described sexual harassment and workplace retaliation.“I was raped, sexually assaulted [sic]”My former boss at Morgan Stanley harassed me and forced me to take drugs,” he was quoted as saying in the transcript.“I was retaliated against for trying to move groups internally at the firm,” he reportedly said.He claimed: “HR did an ‘investigation’ but ultimately they got me to sign [sic] A separation agreement.”The chatbot interaction was published in screenshots cited by the New York Post. It shows Rana later referring to the perpetrator as “he”, which contradicts information later filed in court against Hajdini, a female executive at JPMorgan Chase.The platform publicly displayed the exchange as an example of its service, including user names. A disclaimer on the site states that Askalawyeroncall.com is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential.In the same conversation, the user described signing the separation agreement under duress and claimed he was threatened.He reportedly wrote, “Yes, but I was forced to sign under duress.” He also said he had “ample evidence” of wrongdoing.The conversation continued and the chatbot asked if his agreement contained a clause preventing legal action. Rana reportedly reiterated that she was coerced, saying, “I signed it because I was scared and I felt I had no choice. He said he would ruin my career if I didn’t comply.”According to the transcript, he also said, “I have struggled mentally ever since. It was a terrible experience, and I left there under terrible circumstances.” They told everyone a false story about me, which made it even more difficult.At one point, the chatbot response referenced a different timeline, suggesting the alleged events would have occurred in 2020, which clearly did not align with Rana’s account.“Since this happened in 2020, you may still have options. Have you considered filing a workers’ compensation claim?” The chatbot replied.Rana reportedly responded, “I didn’t think about it. I just feel trapped because I signed that waiver,” and added, “It seems like everyone is refusing to help me because of it.”He also reportedly asked if he had a valid legal case and whether a lawyer would take it.“Do you think I really have a legitimate claim?” and “Do you know anyone who can take my case?” he reportedly asked.The NYP report said Rana was connected to a user named “joycelaw” on the exchange, who claimed to be a legal expert in employment and business law.The chatbot interaction is similar to Rana’s formal internal complaint at JPMorgan, which was filed in May 2025. JPMorgan later concluded an internal review involving phone records, emails, employee interviews and said there was no evidence to support her allegations.Rana is a Rutgers graduate who joined JPMorgan’s leveraged finance team in 2024. She later sued Hajdini, accusing him of forcing her to perform sexual acts, giving her drugs, and threatening her career if she did not do so. The complaint also accused him of coming to her house unannounced and pressurizing her for sexual relations.The lawsuit was filed under a pseudonym (John Doe) and has since been withdrawn for correction. Hazdini and his legal team have denied all allegations.
