NY Fashion Exec Thomas Horodecki Sues for $2 Million After Transfer to New Jersey

A senior manager at the New York fashion house Elie Tahari claims he had a mental breakdown after being forced to travel to New Jersey for work and is suing the company for $2 million.

Thomas Horodecki says he was discriminated against by his Israeli bosses and passed over for promotions at work because he was Christian and Polish. But the New York fashion executive says the company took the alleged discrimination a bridge too far when it banished him to franchises in New Jersey after he complained.

In an interview with the New York Post, Horodecki, 36, says his weekly trips to New Jersey contributed to a mental breakdown. "It was the smog. It was depressing driving to Jersey," Horodecki told the Post. "The traffic was horrendous on Route 4, and they are pretty bad drivers. The stores are kind of cheesy for the most part."

Michael Borrelli, one of Horodecki's attorneys, says it was persistent discrimination based on his client's national origin and religion that plagued Horodecki, not just the Garden State. "He's a New York guy and Jersey seems like a second-class community to him. But it wasn't only that. He allegedly suffered discrimination as well," Borrelli told AOL News in a phone interview today.

Horodecki said he went on disability leave in December because of emotional stress caused by his job, according to court papers. "Mentally, I just started going crazy. I had a breakdown. I was crying to my partner," he said. "Depression set in. I couldn't go to work anymore. I'm presently seeing a psychologist and [I'm] on Zoloft," he told the Post.

Borrelli said as well that Horodecki learned that Horodecki's boss, top Elie Tahari manager Sagit Halperin, allegedly told employees that she had fired Horodecki. But Horodecki has not lost his job.

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Scott Currie, an Elie Tahari vice president, confirmed to AOL News today by phone that Horodecki is still employed with the company. In an e-mailed statement, Currie said he was confident that the lawsuit would be dismissed and noted that Horodecki's comments about New Jersey don't reflect the views of Elie Tahari.

"It is Elie Tahari company policy not to comment on current employees. Nevertheless, we regret the comments Mr. Horodecki chose to make about New Jersey, which do not reflect the views of our company," the statement read. "We are confident that the upcoming arbitration will find all of Mr. Horodecki's claims to be totally baseless and without merit."

Horodecki was unavailable for comment.