By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — A woman whose suit against Citibank landed her on the cover of the Village Voice is asking the state Department of Human Rights to look into her case, according to published reports.
Debrahlee Lorenzana wants the Department of Human Rights to investigate her discrimination claim against Citibank, the New York Daily News reported.
The 33-year-old Queens resident claims she was fired from Citibank because of the way she dressed. Lorenzana already filed a lawsuit against the banking giant, which maintains she was fired because of poor performance.
Lorenzana told the Village Voice last month that she was excited to work at Citibank, before managers started making comments about her clothing and said she was distracting male coworkers with her good looks. She claims her employers eventually let her go because she spoke up against the discrimination.
The banking beauty recently hired high-powered lawyer Gloria Allred to represent her.
"No woman should have to suffer what Debrahlee has had to endure," Allred said Monday.
"And we are here to let Citibank know that we will fight back against this financial giant and we will win."
Lorenzana said she wanted to make sure her plight didn’t happen to anyone else, WCBS-TV reported.
Since her cover on the Village Voice, Lorenzana has turned into a hot news story in New York. She appeared on the "Today Show," "Good Morning America" and has graced the cover of both the Daily News and the New York Post over the last month.
Allred has gotten her share of media attention recently after taking on several of Tiger Woods' alleged mistresses as clients.
Lorenzana's recent fame has not been popular with her new employers at JP Morgan, where she is currently employed, the Voice reported.
The Department of Human Rights has up to 180 days to follow up on the complaint, a spokesperson said. It would then go to a hearing in front of an administrative law judge, who would write a recommended order which could be a combination of monetary damages, reinstatement or an order that an anti-discrimination policy be put into place.
