Lawsuit against JWT Global CEO for racist and sexist slurs

Erin Johnson, Global Communications Officer with J. Walter Thompson, has filed a lawsuit against Gustavo Martinez, Global CEO, JWT, claiming that Martinez had made “racist and sexist slurs”, as per media reports.

According to Johnson’s lawsuit, Martinez had joked about raping female colleagues and had also mocked African-American employees as well as Jews. Johnson further alleged that her bonuses were slashed after she reported Martinez’s behaviour to executives at JWT and WPP.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued through parent company WPP, Martinez denied the charges and said, “I am aware of the allegations made against me by a J. Walter Thompson employee in a suit filed in New York Federal Court. I want to assure our clients and my colleagues that there is absolutely no truth to these outlandish allegations, and I am confident that this will be proven in court.”

Johnson has been with JWT since 2005, when she joined as Director of Corporate Communications in New York. She was promoted to the global role in 2008.

Martinez joined as Global President of the JWT network in 2014. He was made the Global CEO in January 2015.