News: Goldman Sachs settles case with intern who alleged hazing

Employee Relations

Goldman Sachs settles case with intern who alleged hazing

The intern also claimed to have been physically assaulted by his supervisor. The alleged attack resulted in a brain injury.
Goldman Sachs settles case with intern who alleged hazing

Global investment bank Goldman Sachs reached a settlement with a former intern whose supervisor purportedly attacked him at an after-hours party. The incident allegedly caused the complainant to suffer from brain bleeding. 

In a case before a California superior court, Patrick Blumenthal alleged that he was forced to endure a culture of drinking and hazing at the firm, and that he was mocked by staff members if he could not keep up with their alcohol intake. Drinking, the complainant said, was "clearly a job requirement".

Blumenthal also claimed to have been physically assaulted by a Goldman Sachs employee during an encounter at a bar in 2017. A supervisor, who was allegedly angry over one of Blumenthal's jokes, was said to have punched the intern in the stomach. The brawl purportedly resulted in the intern being headlocked and losing consciousness on site. 

However, none of the other Goldman Sachs employees who were said to be present at the bar offered to take Blumenthal to the hospital. Instead, the supervisor drove Blumenthal back to his place, where he regained consciousness only after two days. At the emergency room, doctors detected bleeding in his brain, court documents revealed. 

A lawyer for Blumenthal said the intern is still receiving treatment for his injuries, Bloomberg reported.

Goldman Sachs, however, challenged the intern's claims and maintained it could not be held responsible for an incident that unfolded outside of work hours. 

"That evening, Mr. Blumenthal went out drinking with some of his co-workers from Goldman Sachs after attending an in-office happy hour," the firm told the San Francisco Superior Court. "While out, he was 'playing around' and 'wrestling' – his words, immediately after – with one of his colleagues when he fell and hit his head."

Details of the settlement remain undisclosed. The agreement was reached a week before the firm was scheduled to request the dismissal of the case.

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Topics: Employee Relations

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