by An old fashion director refused to hire a talented designer full-time because he is a cancer survivor ‘laughed’ when her bewildered old friend and ‘right hand’ told her that her reasoning was ‘a bit discriminatory’, claims a new court case.
Designer John Rangel spent a year helping his friend, Lisa Kulson, a fashion executive with a long history as creative director of the large fashion brand theory, prepared for the launch of her new independent fashion line – for free – while he was between jobs.
But when she finally received financing, Kluson told him that “she could not hire him as an employee because he had cancer and the investors would not agree to hire someone with cancer,” claims the court case – and then shot him days for a planned operation.
“She wants a slave,” said Rangel, 44, in an exclusive interview with the post. “She wants a person who will work with her 24/7 and still be paid very little, and that was really shocking for me.”
‘Mr. Rangel trusted his friend and gave her his best work, “said his lawyer, Julie Salwen of Harrison, Harrison & Associates. “She did not live up to his confidence.”
Kulson did not respond to several messages to ask for a comment on Friday.
Rangel, originally a Parsons -Grad of the Philippines whose working history design director -performances includes large industrial names such as Lane Bryant and Full Beauty Brands, was diagnosed with phase four lymphoma in 2020.
He has been friends and employees with Kulson since 2019 and she asked him two years ago if he could bring his talent and experience to launch her young brand and pitch it to investors, according to the case submitted on Thursday in the Supreme Court of Manhattan.
In 2023 he started working for Kulson without payment and helped her with all the aspects of designing her modeline and building pitch decks – all with the promise that he would be an integral part of the brand.
“I believed her so much because she is a great designer, and she is also a great person,” said Rangel.
After working for a year of 60 hours of weeks, he told Kulson last summer that he needed more stable and paying work.
Kulson again stopped her promise and texted him that his role “Right hand/assistant designer/PD[productdesigner”Zouzijnaldushetpakenrangel[productdesigner”Accordancetothesuitandrangel[productontwerper”zouzijnaldushetpakenRangel[productdesigner”accordingtothesuitandRangel
But when that investor money came in, that promise suddenly disappeared, he said, and Kulson shocked him with a lowball offer of $ 4,000 a month-eraan adding that her investors hire full-time with hiring a cancer survivor.
“She just told me that casually,” said Rangel about the shocking conversation.
Kulson referred euphemistically to his cancer and said that a full -time offer was off the table because of his ‘health problems’, Rangel recalled.
“I said,” You mean my history of cancer? ” And she said yes, “he told the post.
When he pointed out that “a little discriminatory,” said Rangel, “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 that he accepted the offer to work as a contractor, a classification that according to his court case is illegal because he worked full -time because she continued to promise more money later.
Moreover, his job description said that he had to perform “cleaning up and maintenance, including toilet” daily, and, given his 60 and 70 hours of working weeks, his wages that never take over work-average below the minimum of $ 16 per hour, the lawsuit claims, in addition to other protections and benefits that have a full-time job.
‘As a result of her discrimination, Mr Rangel was not even able to get unemployment after Mrs. Kulson had fired him for two days before he was planned for an operation. “Said Salwen.
“His role was not the role it would have been if he hadn’t had cancer.”
In November, Rangel Kulson recalled an upcoming operation after the Thanksgiving Week holiday of the office. But he was told to stay at home and rest by one of Kulson’s employees the week before the procedure.
In the beginning, Rangel thought it was a “really caring” gesture – until Kulson gave him a video call two days before the operation to tell him “It doesn’t work” and fired him.
“I worked tirelessly in the office almost every day of the week,” Rangel recalled, and he wanted to know why.
Kulson Demurred, he said.
“The fact that he was going to undergo surgery seemed to influence the timing of their decision,” said Salwen. “I can’t know what’s in their mind, but it seems clear that it had an effect on.”
“I felt so small that I am insignificant, that they can’t even tell me what was wrong, or give me feedback,” he said. “As a friend you would at least expect that. And they thought she was a very good person. ‘
The suit is also looking for wages and unpaid overtime in addition to damage.
