A longtime style govt refused to rent a proficient designer full-time as a result of he’s a most cancers survivor — and “laughed” when her surprised longtime buddy and “proper hand” instructed her that her reasoning was “a bit discriminatory,” a brand new lawsuit alleges.
Designer John Rangel spent a 12 months serving to his buddy, Lisa Kulson, a style govt with an extended historical past as artistic director at main style model Principle, prep for the launch of her new unbiased style line — at no cost — whereas he was in between jobs.
However when she lastly obtained financing, Kluson instructed him she “couldn’t rent him as an worker as a result of he had most cancers and the buyers wouldn’t agree to rent somebody with most cancers,” the swimsuit claims — after which fired him days earlier than a scheduled surgical procedure.
“She needs a slave,” Rangel, 44, stated in an unique interview with The Put up. “She needs an individual who will work together with her 24/7 and but be paid little or no, and that was actually surprising to me.”
“Mr. Rangel trusted his buddy and gave her his finest work,” stated his lawyer, Julie Salwen of Harrison, Harrison & Associates. “She didn’t reside as much as his belief.”
Kulson didn’t reply to a number of messages requesting touch upon Friday.
Rangel, a Parsons grad initially from the Philippines whose work historical past contains design director gigs at huge business names like Lane Bryant and Full Magnificence Manufacturers, was recognized with stage 4 lymphoma in 2020.
He had been associates and collaborators with Kulson since 2019, and he or she requested him two years in the past if he may convey his expertise and expertise to assist launch her fledgling model and pitch it to buyers, in line with the swimsuit filed Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Courtroom.
In 2023, he began working for Kulson with out pay, serving to her with all elements of designing her style line and constructing pitch decks — all with the promise that he can be integral to the model.
“I believed her a lot as a result of she’s an incredible designer, and likewise she’s an incredible particular person,” Rangel stated.
After a 12 months of working 60-hour weeks, he instructed Kulson final summer time that he wanted extra regular — and paying — work.
Kulson re-upped her promise, texting him that his position can be “proper hand/assistant designer/pd [product designer,” according to the suit and Rangel.
But once that investor money came in, that promise suddenly disappeared, he said, and Kulson shocked him with a lowball offer of $4,000 a month — adding that her investors balked at hiring a cancer survivor full-time.
“She just casually told me that,” Rangel said of the shocking conversation.
Kulson referred to his cancer euphemistically, saying that a full-time offer was off the table because of his “health issues,” Rangel recalled.
“I said: ‘You mean my history of cancer?’ And she said yes,” he told The Post.
When he pointed out that was “a bit discriminatory,” Rangel said “she just laughed at it.”
“I felt so small and humiliated,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, because I did so much for her.”
But Rangel said he accepted the offer to work as a contractor, a classification his lawsuit contends is illegal since he was working full-time because she continued to promise more money later on.
Additionally his job description said he had to perform daily “clean-up & maintenance, including restroom,” and, given his 60 and 70 hour workweeks, his wages — which never included overtime — averaged below the $16 per hour minimum, the suit claims, in addition to other protections and benefits that come with a full-time job.
“As a result of her discrimination, Mr. Rangel was not even able to get unemployment after Ms. Kulson fired him two days before he was scheduled for surgery.” said Salwen.
“His role was not the role it would have been if he hadn’t had cancer.”
That November, Rangel reminded Kulson of an upcoming surgery after the office’s Thanksgiving week holiday. But he was told to stay home and rest by one of Kulson’s employees the week before the procedure.
At first, Rangel thought it was a “really caring” gesture — until Kulson gave him a video call two days before surgery to tell him “it’s not working” and fired him.
“I have been working tirelessly at the office almost every day of the week,” Rangel recalled saying, and he wanted to know why.
Kulson demurred, he said.
“The fact that he was going to have surgery seemed to influence the timing of their decision,” said Salwen. “I can’t know what’s in their minds, but it seems clear that had an effect on it.”
“I felt so small, that I’m insignificant, that they can’t even tell me what was wrong, or give me feedback,” he said. “As a friend, you would expect that at least. And they thought she was a really, really good person.”
The suit is also seeking back wages and unpaid overtime in addition to damages.
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