How former JP Morgan banker ‘rehearsed’ sexual allegations against his boss by seeking ‘advice’ from an online legal chatbot, 'chats revealed'

A former JP Morgan employee has accused Lorna Hajdini, a senior bank executive of sexual assault. According to new findings by the New York Post, Chirayu Rana allegedly discussed similar claims with an online legal chatbot nearly 10 months ago. Rana was identified as the user behind public conversations on the website AskALawyerOnCall.com, where he allegedly described being sexually assaulted, harassed and forced to take drugs by a former boss.According to the report, the chatbot conversation took place around July last year and were publicly visible on the legal-advice platform. In the exchanges, the user identifying himself as Rana allegedly claimed he had been “raped, sexually assaulted, harassed, and forced to do drugs” by a former boss at Morgan Stanley. The conversation also reportedly included discussions about separation agreements, legal waivers and possible legal action. The Post also shared screenshots of the alleged chats which further revealed that the user (Rana) was connected to a person identified as “Joycelaw,” who claimed to be an expert in employment and business law. During those conversations, the alleged abuser was referred to as a man, which differs from the claims Rana later made in his lawsuit against Hajdini.Here are the leaked chatsASK A LAWYERon-callAsk a lawyer / Ask an Employment Law expertI was raped, sexually assulted, harassed, and forced to do drugs by my former boss at Morgan Stanley. I was thenExpert's Assistant chatCustomer: HiJA: Hello! I'm here to assist you. Could you please share a bit about the legal issue you're facing?Customer: I was raped, secually assulted, harassed, and forced to do drugs by my former boss at Morgan Stanley. I was then retaliated against for seeking to move groups internally at the firmJA: I'm truly sorry to hear about your experience. It's important to address this situation. Could you let me know if you've already reported these incidents to any authorities or HR at Morgan Stanley?Customer: HR conducted an "investigation" but they ultimately made me signed a Separation AgreementJA: Thank you for sharing that. Did the Separation Agreement include any clauses about waiving your rights to pursue further legal action or discuss the matter publicly?Customer: yes but I was forced to sign under duressJA: I understand. It's important to address the circumstances under which you signed the agreement. Have you gathered any evidence or documentation related to the duress or the incidents you mentioned?Customer: YES I am AMPLE evidenceJA: Thank you for letting me know. Having evidence can be crucial. Have you already consulted with any legal professionals about your situation?Customer: noJA: I'm truly sorry to hear about the distressing experiences you've faced; could you please provide the zip code where these events occurred, as it will help us better understand the legal context of your situation?Customer: 90012JA: Thank you. I need some further details to help the Lawyer. Can I have your full name?Customer: Chirayu Rana Please - I need helpJA: Thanks! What's the best email for you?Customer: @.*JA: Got it. And could I get your phone number?Customer: (***) ###-####JA: OK. Thanks for the info. The Lawyer can help with your case against your former employer. And, how would you like to connect with the Lawyer - phone call or online chat?Customer: phone call would now work?Answered by Joycelaw in 5 mins • 10 months agoJoycelawOwner of Law Firm7634 Satisfied customersJoycelaw, ExpertHello! I'm ******, an attorney with JustAnswer. How are you doing today? I hope you're well. I understand you have some serious concerns regarding your former boss and the situation you faced. I'm here to help you navigate through this.CustomerI'm doing fine, thank you. It's been a tough time for me, though. I was sexually assaulted and harassed by my former boss, and he even forced me to do drugs. It’s been really hard to deal with.Joycelaw, ExpertI'm truly sorry to hear that. Have you reported this incident to the police?CustomerNo, I haven't. He threatened me while I was living in ****, and it made me really scared. I was working on ****, and it’s a small world there. I moved to **** for this job, and when he found out I was looking to transfer to another group, he became hostile. I recorded all our phone calls, so I have plenty of evidence.Joycelaw, ExpertThat sounds incredibly difficult. You mentioned signing a separation agreement; can you tell me more about that?CustomerYes, I signed it because I was scared and felt I had no choice. He said he would ruin my career if I didn’t comply. After I signed, he started spreading lies about me, claiming I made everything up. It was disheartening because most people at work didn't know the truth.Joycelaw, ExpertI understand how frustrating that must be. Did you seek any counseling or support after these incidents?CustomerI've been struggling mentally since then. It was a terrible experience, and I left under awful circumstances. He told everyone a false narrative about me, which made it even harder.Joycelaw, ExpertIt's important to address those mental health impacts. Since this happened in 2020, you might still have options. Have you considered filing a workers' compensation claim?CustomerI didn’t think about that. I just feel stuck because I signed that waiver. Everyone seems to refuse to help me because of it.