The former CEO of luxury scented candle maker Harmonist, Samantha Fink, who is Jewish, has filed a lawsuit against her previous employer, asserting the company which is owned by a prominent Uzbek Muslim fired her for being Jewish in the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Fink, who is Jewish, claims her abrupt termination from her position in late October amounted to religious discrimination. The lawsuit suggests that the decision to fire her was influenced by the company's owner and founder Lola Tillyaeva, a Muslim woman and daughter of the former president of Uzbekistan.
According to the complaint, Fink led Harmonist for four years during which she purportedly managed to grow revenues tenfold and rebuild the brand's reputation. Despite her alleged achievements, including winning an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2022, Fink allegedly was given no reason for her sudden termination nor offered severance or the requisite two months' notice as stated in her employment agreement, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit was filed in San Francisco County Superior Court on Jan. 18.
Fink is asking the court to order Harmonist to pay her alleged unpaid wages, plus special damages, compensatory damages and punitive damages, and attorney fees.
Fink is represented by attorneys Joshua I. Schiller and Melissa K. Zonne from Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, of San Francisco and Los Angeles.