Stylist Claims Working in NJ Was “Depressing”

A top manager for design house Elie Tahari is demanding $2 million for “anguish” and “depression” he says was caused by driving to sadly unstylish New Jersey on a weekly basis.

Thomas Horodecki, who works as a manager for Tahari’s Saks Fifth Avenue shop, alleges that his supervisor, Sagit Halperin, forced him to travel to New Jersey at least once a week as part of his assignment to coordinate six retailers there.

“It was depressing driving to Jersey,” Horodecki told the New York Post. “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!”

Horodecki alleges in an arbitration claim filed Wednesday that Elie Tahari, Ltd. and Sagit Halperin violated his rights under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York City Human Rights Law, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and New York State Labor Law.

The claim says Halperin, who is Jewish and of Israeli descent, of promoting employees of her same national origin and discriminating against Horodecki, who is a Christian of Polish descent.

The claim also says Halperin vacationed with the staffers in Israel and socialized with them after work. Horodecki was not invited to those gatherings.

According to the claim, Halperin ordered Horodecki to travel to New Jersey stores, submit pictures of the stores, and create detailed floor plans for each store.

Horodecki said he was going crazy and had a breakdown.

Horodecki’s attorneys, Michael Borrelli and Alexander Coleman, said “no one should be treated the way he has been treated. It is outrageous to discriminate against employees in any way on the basis of their background.”

Todd Girshon, attorney for Tahari, declined to comment.

“We regret the comments Mr. Hordecki chose to make about New Jersey, which do not reflect the views of our company,” said Tahari VP Scott Currie. “We are confident that the upcoming arbitration will find all of Mr. Hordecki’s claims to be totally baseless and without merit.”

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