A former Point72 intern says he asked the firm for a quieter desk — and got fired instead. Now he’s suing Steve Cohen’s $39.9 billion hedge fund.
Andrew Pardo, who was in the firm’s 2023 summer intern class after completing his junior year at the University of Michigan, claims in his suit that he was fired after he asked to move to a desk in a less-trafficked area because he suffers from PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health condition he said he was diagnosed with after suffering physical abuse.
“The moment plaintiff disclosed his disability, Point72 treated him not as an asset to be supported but as a liability to be managed,” the complaint filed Tuesday in New York State Supreme Court said.
Pardo’s suit accuses Point72 of violating New York State and City human rights laws based on disability and race.
“This complaint, for which the plaintiff is demanding $20 million in damages in connection with his summer internship, is ridiculous and without merit. We intend to address these matters in the appropriate forum,” the hedge fund wrote in a statement.
Pardo’s lawyer, Lindsay Goldbrum, said the $20 million figure was used as “a procedural placeholder” and that, with the case proceeding, her side has not specified a damages amount.
The complaint alleges that Pardo was seated with his back to a busy corridor, and having his back exposed in spaces with unpredictable movement behind him is a “specific somatic trigger” that causes him to “experience flashbacks, panic symptoms, and emotional dysregulation that significantly impair his ability to function.” While the suit states he was eventually moved to a new desk, he was fired soon thereafter.
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Pardo’s suit also claims the firm’s culture was “characterized by heavy drinking,” which Pardo says made it hard for him to work there with PTSD. Pardo did not attend an intern happy hour after suffering an episode on his first day, and later learned from his peers that “these events were not merely social gatherings.”
“They were informal rites of passage, where interns were expected to consume large quantities of alcohol in the presence of Point72 staff and recruitment personnel,” reads the suit, which also alleged that a firm employee smoked marijuana with interns. Marijuana is legal in New York, where Pardo briefly worked for the firm.
Goldbrum, a partner at Goddard Law, which is representing Pardo, said the case highlights issues around inclusion in “elite industries.” In a post on LinkedIn, Pardo wrote that the filing of the lawsuit is “one of the most important steps in my life.”
“I’m sharing my story publicly because no one should face retaliation or discrimination for advocating for their basic rights and well-being. Companies must be held accountable when their actions contradict their promises, especially on crucial issues like mental health, diversity, and inclusion,” he wrote.
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