New York Fashion Exec Sues For $2 Million Citing New Jersey As the Reason For Mental Break

Thomas Horodecki, a 36-year-old manager for Elie Tahari, is suing his employer for $2 million. He alleges that he suffered a mental breakdown, depression and exhaustion because the company moved him from his post at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York to Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s locations in Hackensack. Apparently the Neiman Marcus in Paramus was also depressing enough to require medication.

Before we address the ridiculous portion of this story, let’s address the more serious claims. Horodecki claims that he was overlooked for promotions and raises at Tahari because he’s a Christian of Polish descent, and not Jewish. He alleges that his Israeli-born supervisor Sagit Halperin, who is also married to head designer Kobi Halperin, passed him over in favor of less experienced Israeli women. {NY Post} After complaining, he was sent to the aforementioned New Jersey locations.

Got all that? Good, on to the ridiculous part of Horodecki’s statement:

“It was the smog. It was depressing driving to Jersey. The traffic was horrendous on Route 4, and they are pretty bad drivers. The stores are kind of cheesy for the most part. New York City has everything when it comes to fashion, especially Saks. And when it comes to styling, let’s just say Jersey is difficult. Fashion it is not!

Mentally, I just started going crazy. I had a breakdown. I was crying to my partner, depression set in. I couldn’t go to work anymore. I’m presently seeing a psychologist and [I’m] on Zoloft.”

Yes, because it’s soooo tough to have to go to New Jersey once a week to check in on boutiques in three of the top luxury department store chains in the country. And the traffic? Let’s all hope Mr. Horodecki – who has not been fired, and is currently on disability leave – is never forced to endure traffic in LA; everyone knows the reason Hollywood starlets are so troubled is because of the terrible traffic.

Let’s not even speak about the possibility that the women who were promoted ahead of Mr. Horodecki may have been promoted because they didn’t break down mentally about traffic or less fashionable work environments. That couldn’t be it, right?

Maybe Horodecki can get the fashion psychology experts who’ve been providing the diagnoses for John Galliano (“the meltdown was all fashion’s fault!”) to support his case.






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