Cohen’s Point72 Faces Discrimination Claims From Female Staffers
Cohen’s Point72 Faces Discrimination Claims From Female Staffers
(Bloomberg) -- Point72 Asset Management was named in two separate discrimination claims, including one from a former employee who was among the top-ranked women at Steve Cohen’s hedge fund firm.
Sara Vavra, who departed as head of global macro in October, and Shannon Gitlin, who works in Point72’s investor relations department, filed grievances with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities in recent months, according to court documents and interviews with members of the body. The agency was set up to prevent discrimination in areas including housing, employment and contract compliance.
Charles Perry, the commission’s Freedom of Information officer, confirmed that Gitlin filed a complaint in April and that Vavra filed hers on June 2. He said all other information would remain confidential until the disputes are resolved, a process that could take years.
Gitlin, 52, and Vavra, 46, both declined to comment. A Point72 representative also declined to comment for the Stamford, Connecticut-based firm, which manages about $16 billion.
Point72 was sued in February 2018 by Lauren Bonner, an associate director, who claimed that the company hired and promoted more men than women, and paid her less than male counterparts with equal or fewer responsibilities. The firm denied the claims and the case was moved to arbitration last year.
Jeanne Christensen, an attorney who represented Bonner, is also working with Gitlin, court documents show. Christensen didn’t respond to calls seeking comment.
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