NY executives called salesman 'cheap Jew' before firing him, lawsuit alleges

A federal lawsuit filed Monday alleges that two executives at Straight Line Source Inc., a New York business-financing company, made antisemitic comments and fired salesman Andrew Shiffman after he questioned missing commissions. Shiffman, hired in November 2024, claims the company withheld or understated commissions, citing an instance where he was paid $27,500 on a loan renewal that should have yielded $225,000. After he demanded records, executives Ali Mayar and Michael Hacker allegedly called him a “cheap Jew,” mocked his yarmulke, and threatened to revoke commissions. Shiffman was terminated on March 25, with the company citing insufficient new business, a reason Shiffman alleges was pretextual. The lawsuit seeks unpaid wages, commissions, damages, and a jury trial.