A former U.S. Bank employee who once spearheaded its AI initiatives is now suing the bank, claiming it discriminated against him, illegally fired him and defamed him to other potential employers.
Lawyers for the ex-employee, Srini Nallasivan, filed the lawsuit in North Carolina state court earlier this summer, and U.S. Bank filed to remove the case to federal court last week.
Nallasivan, who was born in India, says he was thriving in his role as a vice president and chief analytics officer until the bank suddenly subjected him to “discrimination, harassment and retaliation.” The last straw, Nallasivan claims, was that after he finally lost his job, U.S. Bank badmouthed him to another financial firm that was on the verge of hiring him.
“U.S. Bank continues to discriminate against, harass, and retaliate against Mr. Nallasivan,” the complaint says. “Left with no choice, Mr. Nallasivan brings this action regarding his wrongful termination, and to have U.S. Bank stop interfering with his ability to find a new job.”
U.S. Bank, a unit of Minneapolis-based
“Mr. Nallasivan’s job was eliminated after a robust and considered organizational review,” Jeff Shelman, a spokesperson for U.S. Bank, told American Banker in an email. “We disagree with the claims and intend to defend ourselves vigorously.”
The lawsuit was first reported by Law360.
During Nallavisan’s time at U.S. Bank, he led the development of the company’s AI services, ran data analytics, among other responsibilities, according to the complaint. Before that, he was a senior vice president at Bank of America and head of digital marketing and data analytics at AIG, according to his LinkedIn profile.
According to the complaint, Nallasivan received “glowing annual reviews” at U.S. Bank from 2018 through 2022. But in September 2023, his lawyers say, Nallasivan’s supervisor was suddenly “pushed out” of his role, and his work environment began to turn hostile.
On Sept. 14, U.S. Bank sent Nallasivan a letter accusing him — for the first time in five years, he says — of being combative, aggressive and uncooperative, hiding information and circumventing regulations.
When Nallasivan repeatedly asked for an explanation, his superiors allegedly provided no proof. Instead, the lawsuit says, they demanded that he sign a written warning outlining the vague accusations. Feeling “blindsided,” Nallasivan refused.
For the rest of the month, the complaint says, Nallasivan repeatedly asked his managers for more information and brought them evidence that he had been performing his job with integrity. On both fronts, his lawyers say, he was ignored.
In October, Nallasivan was informed that “the investigation was closed,” and a complaint was recorded in his personnel file. Nallasivan protested, but this too allegedly fell on deaf ears.
This stalemate continued until November, when Nallasivan learned that another employee would be taking over as chief of artificial intelligence — a role Nallasivan had held since 2019. In the complaint, Nallasivan’s lawyers pointedly refer to this employee as “a white man,” and attribute the decision to racism.
“It remains clear that these discriminatory actions were intended by U.S. Bank to replace Mr. Nallasivan, a person of color,” the complaint says.
In January 2024, U.S. Bank told Nallasivan that his job was being eliminated. His last day would be in May, and his team was being divided into several smaller groups. Nallasivan’s supervisor allegedly promised him a severance package of more than $100,000 — if he would help with the transition. Nallasivan agreed.
But one month later, the complaint says, U.S. Bank told Nallasivan that his exit date would actually be mid-March, and he would not receive the severance.
“This was a classic bait-and-switch,” Nallasivan’s lawyers wrote.
Having lost his position at U.S. Bank, Nallasivan looked for other work, according to his lawsuit. After several interviews, one financial firm offered him a job with a generous pay package. But four days later, the company suddenly withdrew the offer, the lawsuit says, after “an employee at U.S. Bank had spoken negatively about Mr. Nallasivan.”
“It is clear that individuals at U.S. Bank are interfering and attempting to prevent Mr. Nallasivan from finding gainful employment as an act of further retaliation,” the complaint says.
Nallasivan’s lawyers are suing U.S. Bank for lost wages and benefits, as well as damages for emotional distress, amounting to at least $100,000.