Revlon reaches settlement over discrimination lawsuit against CEO

Revlon reaches settlement over discrimination lawsuit against CEO

Revlon has reached a settlement with a former employee who alleged that the company’s CEO had made derogatory statements about Jews, Americans and black people.

The claims against Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Delpani were made by Alan Meyers, who worked for Revlon for four years as Chief Scientific Officer but was fired in December 2014.

In the retaliation and discrimination lawsuit filed at the start of the year, Meyers alleged that Delpani had made anti-Semitic, anti-American and racist comments. Meyers claimed that Italian-born Delpani had referred to Americans as “dirty” and had commented, during a visit to a South African factory, that he could smell black people when they entered the room.

Meyers also claimed that Delpani had made anti-Semitic comments about Ronald Perelman, Revlon’s billionaire controlling shareholder who is Jewish. Meyers alleged that Delpani had expressed surprise at the lack of Jewish executives at Revlon, because, “Jews stick together.”

The claims quickly became a trending topic on Twitter in January via the hashtag #ShadesOfRevlon.

The settlement with Alan Meyers was disclosed in papers filed in Manhattan federal court on Monday. The terms were not disclosed.

Revlon said in a statement that the case was “amicably resolved.”

Meyers also claimed in the lawsuit that Delpani accused him of raising “ghost” safety problems at recently acquired laboratories and frequently yelled at him in front of other executives.

Revlon has called the lawsuit “completely meritless” and said Meyers “repeatedly demonstrated critical lapses in judgment and failed to perform at the high standard we demand of our employees.”

 

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