A Bank of America executive claims he was forced to resign after facing racial and age discrimination while caring for his seriously ill mother, according to a federal lawsuit.
Robert Zullo, 55, says his supervisor, AJ Venit, told him he would “never work in the banking industry again” during a confrontation in August 2025. Bank of America has denied the allegations and said it intends to vigorously defend itself.
Zullo moved from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Albany, New York, to look after his mother. He alleges that Karen Cheney, his former supervisor, approved an arrangement allowing him to work intermittently from the Albany office while serving as her caregiver, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says Zullo told Cheney about his mother’s medical condition in May 2024. Cheney allegedly submitted a request allowing him to travel between locations, but human resources later rejected it.
In July 2024, Zullo says Cheney “verbally authorized an alternative arrangement” that allowed him to badge into the Albany office and continue working while living outside North Carolina.
According to the complaint, Zullo followed that arrangement for roughly a year and was listed as “compliant” on the manager dashboard. He had been a senior vice president in the bank’s compliance and operational risk division.
“During that period, Zullo received no reprimand, counseling, or warning regarding his attendance or location, and he received expanded responsibilities and a performance award,” the lawsuit, filed last week, states.
Zullo also alleges that a younger African American employee who worked under Venit was permitted to “permanently” move to New Jersey to care for a family member.
Robert Zullo, 55, alleges that age and race discrimination forced him to resign from Bank of America
Zullo says his former supervisor, Karen Cheney, verbally approved his working from the Albany, New York, office while he cared for his ailing mother
Although the two men allegedly had comparable approvals from their managers, Zullo says he was placed on a performance improvement plan while the other employee was eventually promoted to senior vice president. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.
Zullo further claims that promoting his colleague was considered more favorable because it would help the bank meet “diversity target percentages,” according to the complaint.
In August 2025, Cheney allegedly contacted Employee Relations to request data supporting a “verbal warning against Zullo,” the lawsuit says.
Several days later, Zullo allegedly told Cheney he planned to request temporary leave to care for his mother, whose treatments were scheduled to begin in September 2025.
He subsequently filed the request and asked to work from the Albany office while living with his mother, according to the complaint. The next day, he says he received a letter ordering him to work three full days each week at the Charlotte office.
Zullo was later called into a meeting with both managers. During the meeting, Venit allegedly accused him of using the Albany office without authorization and rejected his caregiving request without offering an alternative, the lawsuit states.
Venit allegedly told Zullo, “You’ll be gone in 30 days; we just have to follow the paperwork process.” He also purportedly warned that Zullo would never work in banking again.
Zullo alleges that his boss, AJ Venit, pictured, told him he would “never work in the banking industry again” during a confrontation in August 2025
Zullo then filed an ethics and compliance complaint, alleging that he had been treated differently from colleagues and discriminated against because of his age and race.
Just days later, he was placed on a performance improvement plan, or PIP. The document cited “low performance and lack of productivity,” according to the lawsuit.
The plan also warned that he could be dismissed at any time.
Zullo claims the PIP prevented him from applying for FMLA and other forms of leave, leaving him unable to seek time off only weeks before his mother’s treatment was due to begin.
Zullo resigned on August 20, 2025.
“A reasonable person in Zullo’s position would have felt compelled to resign,” the lawsuit says. It adds that he left approximately four months before becoming eligible for substantial retirement vesting and equity benefits.
Bank of America told Our News Outlet that it rejects the allegations. Our News Outlet also contacted Venit and Cheney for comment. Neither is named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
“We provide flexibility and leave accommodations for all employees; however, Mr. Zullo repeatedly failed to comply with company policy, and we strongly disagree with this account,” a bank spokesperson said.
“We look forward to presenting the facts through the appropriate legal channels.”
Our News Outlet has also contacted Zullo for comment.
