UPDATE:Yeah, I was right. Not only a ‘modeling’ job, but her goal is to be a Playboy Playmate.
What ‘cha think?
Having worked with women in the fashion industry and in television, I tend to bet a bit skeptical about her story. Citi wouldn’t hire her, train her, and then fire her…too expensive. And they’re too large of a company to not ‘cover their tracks’ if they DID fire her for dressing provocative. So I tend to think that she’s trying to get media attention and some sort of “modeling” job. Especially after I read some of her comments… especially that last one. Then, she does a photo shoot for a gallery of pics?
Full story here and below.
First, the video:
A Latina lovely says her bosses at Citigroup canned her for flaunting her ample assets at a midtown bank.
Dangerously curvy Debrahlee Lorenzana contends her ex-bosses at Citibank in the Chrysler Building banned her from wearing sexy outfits or heels deemed “too distracting” for male coworkers.
“I can’t help it that I have curves,” Lorenzana told the Daily News.
- Debrahlee Lorenzana
“And I’m not going to go eat and gain 50 or 100 pounds because my job wants me to be the same size as everyone else.”
The 33-year-old Queens woman filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming she was ordered to lay off turtlenecks, pencil skirts and fitted suits because clingy clothes were drawing too much attention in the workplace.
“Debrahlee Lorenzana would be very attractive in a burka,” said her lawyer Jack Tuckner, of Tuckner Sipser Weinstock & Sipser.
Lorenzana, who is 5-feet-6 and 125 pounds, defended her fashion choices, saying she never flashed too much skin and dressed professionally, not provocatively.
“Never did I ever show cleavage,” the divorced single mom said. “I like fashion, but I always dressed professionally.”
Lorenzana was hired as a business banking officer at Citi’s Chrysler branch in September 2008 and transferred in July 2009 to a Rockefeller Center branch.
The suit claims she was moved to an out-of-the-way spot where she couldn’t lure in new clients as retaliation for her complaints about sexual harassment. A month later she was fired.
“All it came down to was, ‘We don’t want to deal with you, because you’re just too good looking,’” Tuckner said.
In a statement, Citigroup said the suit is “without merit,” but declined to discuss Lorenzana’s performance.
“Citi is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and providing a respectful environment in the workplace,” the statement read.
Lorenzana, who works for another financial institution, said she’s had to face harassment her entire life because of a body that drives men wild.
“I get harassed in the supermarket with my son just wearing sweatpants with my hair in a ponytail,” she said. “I can’t help how I look.”
Other also read:
Oh, my. Based solely on what I read in this post: I have no opinion at all on who, if anyone, is guilty of what.
I’m a man, pushing 60, and have been in offices where at least one woman seemed to be dressing for distraction – and where men were shallow jerks. In that sort of situation you can have one, or the other, or both.
Here? I’d have to do a whole lot of very serious research before I thought Lorenzana is a victim – an instigator – or something else.
Thanks for an – intriguing? – post.
There probably are a lot of men who would be distracted by her, even if she were wearing a burka. She probably wasn’t wearing a burka though
There aren’t too many people blessed (or cursed?) with looks like that. Guys probably would be going after her, and if she complained, and made the wrong person mad, well…the situation could certainly exist through no fault of her own, sadly.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Colleen Hammond, Brian Gill. Brian Gill said: RT @ColleenMHammond: Post Edited: Woman Fired for Dressing "Too Sexy": Distracting Men http://bit.ly/dmpc5S [...]
What do you think Colleen? Setting aside from her rather inflammatory comments, could somebody who has her looks avoid being distracting to men? I have a couple of sisters, who no matter how they dress, are always getting looks.
Jayne had this to say on my Facebook page:
Uh, yeah. I’m short and buxomy. It stinks and I can’t wear stuff other gals can. It doesn’t matter as much now that I’m older and have had 5 kids. But I still have to be careful.
When I was young, I had to be more careful with my wardrobe.
Turtlenecks and high neck shirts emphasize a large bust! Believe it or not, scoop necks, (w/ scarves and/… See Moreor a jacket) minimzes it. And the jackets have to have 3 buttons or more and go all the way up to the bust, or it looks like one is bursting out. Ribbed sweaters, stripes all draw attention to the chest.
LOL. I learned these things because I KNEW my curves drew attention (and I’m not bragging, I’ve never thought much about my looks, I promise; nor do I like that sort of attention–it’s too base and vulgar) and had to find ways to play them down.
This woman knows what she’s doing. What a lame lawsuit. And what is sad is that she’ll probably win. It’s the egalitarian way.
No, Lisa…it’s not just how she looks. She’s a gorgeous gal, lucky (or unlucky?) her! And frankly, she might have an IQ of 160 for all we know.
It’s not just what she says.
Rather, observe how she carries herself. Do the words demure, reserved, bashful, and timid leap to anyone’s mind?
Body language speaks louder than words.
I used to teach a Business Etiquette course, and Debrahlee is not shy about flaunting her sexuality. Notice how she chose to pose in the pics in her photo gallery and how she handled herself in the CBS news story. Maybe she doesn’t even realize how she comes across.
I like what Jayne said (above). Jayne is a nice looking lady with the same sort of body, but dresses tastefully and carries herself in an elegant, professional manner.
Maybe Debrahlee just needs a good Business Etiquette course!
[...] Woman Fired for Dressing “Too Sexy”: Distracting Men [...]
You have a fantastic point about how she carries herself. Intentional or not she is deffinately posing for the camera and carrying herself is such as way as to grab attention. If you dressed in a burka and moved about in that manner you’d still distract male co-workers. Even a fat woman (so despised by society) can gather sexual attention if she moved about and posed like that. “Come hither…”
Notice how they had to make sure we know she’s a “divorced single mom”? Single moms are the Feminists’ highly lauded heroes! They just had to get that in there.
legally she didnt’ do anything wrong by wearing the clothes she was wearing , but she does know that the clothes she was wearing were flattering all the right curves and she knows she was getting attention, just like she is getting it now, she wants that and now she wants money too, the bank also knows how to cover their tracks, she might as well give up now
Puh-leese! “I can’t help it cuz I’m SO beautiful!” That is absolutely absurd! All women on some level, regardless of their personal attractiveness, know what they can do to play up or play down their looks. It includes clothing and also ‘attitude’ as some have mentioned here. Sometimes a girl/woman can be dressed plainly or in an otherwise modest fashion, and yet with a hand on the hip, jutted out to the side and a “come-hither” stare invite approach. That’s one of the things that annoys me about some “modest clothing” sites on the web. Sure, the dresses cover from point A to point B … but the models have only seen “sexy poses” and have that sulky “cat on the prowl” look about them. Not modest at all! And this woman, with her lawsuit is not being honest. She says she can get bothered at the store wearing sweatpants. And I’ll bet they’re not baggy, shapeless sweatpants but probably tight, thin and low waisted, with a tight low cut tee shirt … Gimme a break! And one more thing: that little barb she threw out there at her fellow female co-workers, about having to gain ” 50 to 100 pounds” to “look like everyone else” !!!!! What a witch! I am not a bad looking woman for my age (43) …. and I know for a fact that I can choose certain clothes and strut around and get attention .. it’s no great talent. Yes, this woman is pretty and has a great figure … she’s not modest and she knows exactly what she’s doing. Okay. I’m done
No one’s saying this gal has to gain any weight, and only a pharisee would say she has to “frump it up”, but she needs to cover up. While she doesn’t have to suffocate herself, she does need to cover up.
If I ran up to a … If I ran up to a vlecihe that had a candidate in it, breaking thru a line, I would expect secret service or security to beat my ass. freedom of speech or press does not give you the right to run at someone that way. there is no need to spin this situation state that your policy is that anyone that charges a vlecihe or candidate will be subdued quickly and no apologies will be given, the lady was not repeatedly beaten, but you have to expect some level of physical restraint to be used.