A former executive employee has filed a lawsuit against ConnectOne Bank, alleging that he was terminated after he reported alleged misconduct within the company.
According to the lawsuit filed by plaintiff Dexter S. Mottley, he joined ConnectOne Bank in 2017 as Vice President and Senior Credit Officer. In September 2021, he was reassigned to the bank’s Astoria office in Queens, where he began raising concerns about potential violations of banking laws and internal compliance protocols. According to the complaint, these included allegations of mishandling proprietary materials belonging to competitor institutions.
Mottley states that he brought these concerns to the attention of supervisors Thomas Miller and Joshua Myers but received little response. During a virtual meeting on September 28, 2021, Chief Credit Officer Joseph Javitz allegedly acknowledged using risk-rating templates from his previous employer to benefit ConnectOne Bank. Mottley claims he objected to this action, citing potential violations of the Economic Espionage Act and other trade secret laws.
Following these reports, Mottley alleges he was excluded from meetings and denied access to key tools necessary for his job. He also claims to have raised concerns about misappropriated documents from other institutions, such as Investors Bank and Citizens Bank, some of which were marked "CONFIDENTIAL."
On June 30, 2023, Mottley was terminated from his position at the Astoria office. The lawsuit alleges that the termination was retaliatory, not performance-based. According to the complaint, Thomas Miller later confirmed that Javitz played a role in the decision to terminate Mottley due to grievances related to his disclosures.
Mottley is seeking relief including reinstatement to his previous or a comparable position with full benefits; compensatory damages for lost wages; punitive damages; civil penalties under NYLL § 740; attorney fees; and other remedies provided by law.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Roosevelt Jean. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID 1:25-cv-03609.