Former United Capital employee sues firm for racial discrimination

A former United Capital Financial Advisors employee is suing the firm over alleged racial discrimination. In a July 30 complaint filed in a Dallas federal court, Tracey Chung alleged her supervisor bullied and publicly humiliated her because she was the only Asian woman in the office and an easy target. Ms. Chung is seeking $325,000 in damages as well as attorneys' fees and costs. She filed discrimination charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the agency approved her right to sue on June 7. Ms. Chung's supervisor "repeatedly berated and demeaned [her] in front of her colleagues," the complaint states. "The supervisor scrutinized [Ms. Chung's] every action and constantly criticized her, looking for some pretext to subject [her] to. Plaintiff's supervisor did not similarly humiliate or demean plaintiff's non-Asian colleagues." Ms. Chung started at the firm in February 2018 and worked as a client service manager at an office in the Dallas area, according to her LinkedIn profile. She turned to United Capital's human resources department for help to no avail, according to the complaint. Firm HR officials ignored evidence and backed the supervisor, the complaint alleges, and then forced Ms. Chung and the supervisor to sit down together. "This meeting had a chilling effect," the complaint states. "Plaintiff, faced with her tormentor and her tormentor's allies in HR, was intimidated into backing off her claims." Less than two weeks after reporting her supervisor, United Capital fired Ms. Chung. "At United Capital, we take diversity very seriously," a United Capital spokesman wrote in an email. "As it relates to the case, we have no further comment at this time." Ms. Chung's lawyer was not immediately available for comment. United Capital announced its sale to Goldman Sachs earlier this year.