Celenia Tapia’s career at Wells Fargo spanned over a decade and a half, marked by hard-won achievements and professional milestones. But all of that came to an abrupt end when, she claims, the company failed to protect her from sexual harassment.
Her case centers on Tapia’s encounters with Donald Joseph Pipino, her colleague, whom she accuses of making unwanted advances at a company event.
According to the complaint, Pipino allegedly touched her inappropriately, holding her without consent and, in a particularly distressing moment, grabbing her in a sexually intrusive manner. Though she reported the incident to Wells Fargo through their ethics hotline and independent human resources contacts, Tapia alleges that the response from her superiors was indifferent at best, dismissive at worst.
The court documents paint a bleak picture of Wells Fargo’s handling of the situation. Jessica Murphy, Tapia’s superior, allegedly suggested that Tapia’s concerns could be quietly resolved if “Donny” were merely told to stop. This unofficial intervention, as the lawsuit claims, epitomized a pattern of nonchalant attitudes toward harassment within the company, with her superiors reluctant to escalate the issue through formal channels.
When an investigation was finally conducted, Tapia’s allegations were substantiated. Yet, rather than addressing her needs, Wells Fargo reportedly refused to accommodate Tapia’s requests to avoid proximity with her harasser. She describes how her requests to work in a different location or work remotely went unheeded. Instead, management allegedly arranged for her to sit closer to Pipino upon returning to the office, aggravating her anxiety and sense of vulnerability. Her complaints were met with dismissive comments from her lead, Tiffany Hughes, who implied that either Tapia or Pipino would eventually leave, which, the complaint suggests, was Wells Fargo’s de facto strategy.
This exposure to her alleged harasser exacted a toll on Tapia’s health.
She claims to have suffered from extreme anxiety and panic attacks, leading to therapy sessions and an emergency room visit. Her complaints, which sought minimal adjustments to safeguard her mental health, were continually disregarded. Ultimately, her untenable work conditions led Tapia to resign, ending a 16-year career at the bank.
Tapia’s suit brought multiple claims against Wells Fargo, including allegations of negligent retention and supervision. The lawsuit contends that Pipino’s behavior had created a toxic environment and that the bank, fully aware of the circumstances, failed to prevent further harm. Celenia’s lawyers argued that Wells Fargo could have transferred or terminated Pipino but instead chose to place the burden on Tapia, leaving her to choose between working in proximity to her alleged harasser or leaving the company entirely.
As Tapia’s legal team argued, the case underscores the “willful disregard” Wells Fargo allegedly displayed toward protecting its employees’ rights and safety.
Something I’d like to note is that at the time of this case, Celenia Tapia was a VP at Wells Fargo. That’s pretty freaking high on the corporate ladder. If a VP- with all the powers that come with being a VP- was being forced into submission like this, then what do we think is happening with the other women at the Wells Fargo bank?
Here is a picture of Jessica Murphy from this story
According to his LinkedIn page, Donald Pipino graduated from the University of Michigan Business School.