Wife Of 49’ers DT Lawrence Okoye Suing Investment Firm For Harassment

The wife of a newly signed 49ers defensive tackle Lawrence Okoye has filed a lawsuit against her former employer. Philippa Okoye claims her employer took issue with the fact that she married a black professional athlete. Philippa is white.

In a suit filed Monday in Manhattan Federal Court Philippa claims that Benjamin Alderson, the CEO of the deVere Group in Manhattan, ran an out of control office. Okoye says her boss and co-workers, sexually harassed her, openly mocked her marriage, and called her a “bible basher.”

“How many cheerleaders has your boyfriend f–ked today?” Philippa Okoye, 27, who is white, said her boss sneered at her at their deVere Group office in Manhattan, according to a new federal lawsuit.

Referring to Okoye’s now-husband, British Olympic athlete and San Francisco 49er defensive tackle Lawrence Okoye, the boss allegedly added, “He’s probably f–ked the whole cheerleading squad by now.’’

Philippa said that another time, a worker near her announced, “I think it’s disgusting when white women go out with black guys.’’

A second worker said, “Don’t change your surname [to Okoye] if you marry Lawrence, because people will think you’re black,’’ she said.

“Yeah, and that’s not good for business,’’ Alderson allegedly added.

According to Philippa’s suit, Benjamin Alderson what that office to be like a movie.  He used Wolf of Wall St. and Boiler Room as examples.

“In those films, employees of male-dominated investment firms used highly offensive language and engaged in extremely inappropriate conduct, including sexual harassment and drug and alcohol use in the workplace.”

Okoye was the only woman in the office of 21 men. The firm maintains her termination was legit.

photos via Twitter