A former employee of the Yeshivah of Flatbush has filed a lawsuit alleging discriminatory practices and retaliation that led to her termination at the educational institution. Ilana Lax, who served as the Director of Marketing and Communications for nearly nine years, filed her complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on December 27, 2024.
The lawsuit claims that Lax, an Ashkenazi Jew over fifty years old, was terminated under discriminatory circumstances. She alleges her dismissal was part of a broader pattern of discrimination against Jewish employees of eastern or central European descent in favor of those with Syrian ancestry.
According to the complaint, Jeffrey Rothman, the school’s Executive Director, informed Lax on April 4, 2024, that her position would be eliminated at the end of June 2024 due to a desire to hire someone with a "younger personality" at a lower salary, despite Lax’s positive performance evaluations.
Lax further claims that her replacement was significantly younger, lacked prior work experience, and did not go through the usual interview process. She also asserts that the replacement is of Syrian Jewish descent, a factor she believes influenced the decision.
The complaint references additional instances where non-Syrian Jewish employees were allegedly replaced by individuals of Syrian descent.
The lawsuit also outlines retaliatory actions taken against Lax after she reported the alleged discrimination to human resources. She claims that she was instructed to prematurely inform her team about her termination and was denied access to school systems before her official last day.
Lax is seeking compensatory damages for economic losses and emotional distress, as well as punitive damages and reimbursement for legal fees. The case addresses issues of workplace discrimination based on age and national origin under Title VII and New York State laws.
Lax is represented by attorney Lauren Israelovitch of the National Jewish Advocacy Center, Inc., in West Hempstead, NY. The case is filed under Case No. 1:24-cv-8864.