A former Ernst & Young intern who was allegedly groped by her boss at a karaoke bar claims that she was then ostracised and intimidated by colleagues who urged her to drop her complaint to spare his feelings.

Ofir Larsen, 32, is suing the top consulting firm in the Federal Court in Sydney over claims that she was victimised for lodging a complaint about ongoing harassment by her manager Harry Young from November 2022.

According to court documents obtained by the Daily Mail, EY agreed that Ms Larsen had been told the firm used to handle sexual harassment complaints simply by offering the victim money and asking them to leave.

That practice only changed after a high-profile suicide rocked the Sydney office in August 2022 – three months before Ms Larsen’s alleged sexual harassment began.

EY denied that Ms Larsen had been victimised by her colleagues, but otherwise admitted the bulk of her claims which, she alleged, began when Young chose to sit very close to her and leaned over her to draft an email to himself on her laptop.

The company also agreed with her claims that the situation had escalated in January 2023 during Friday drinks at Customs House Bar, in the CBD, and later at K1 Karaoke Lounge.

Young allegedly sat next to her, put his arm around her in a ‘tight hug’, grabbed her right breast, slapped her left thigh multiple times, and then started gripping the same thigh, the court documents state.

According to her complaint to the Australian Human Rights Commission, tendered to the court, Ms Larsen felt scared when Young allegedly followed her towards the bathroom and waited outside.

Ofir Larsen (pictured) accused a former Ernst & Young colleague of sexual harassment

Ms Larsen (pictured)accused her former boss of sexual harassment

Ms Larsen alleges the sexual harassment escalated at K1 Karaoke Lounge in the CBD (pictured)

Court documents also say Ms Larsen filled out an anonymous survey at the end of her internship, known as the ‘vacationer program’, in February 2023.

In the survey, she alleged: ‘Harry Young was very inappropriate, touching and grabbing… [Young] showed clear signs of favouritism towards an intern he was romantically pursuing.’

‘Please do something about [his] behaviour. Please, we are Vacationers, we don’t know who to tell. I hope someone reads this,’ Ms Larsen said, according to the documents.

She told two colleagues about her anonymous complaint later in February, according to the court material, and in March was called into a meeting with a manager and senior manager and advised that Young knew about the complaint.

In her statement of claim, Ms Larsen said the manager told her that EY used to ‘deal with these things’ by offering money to the affected staff member and asking them to leave, but that things were different ‘after the suicide’.

She then had a meeting with the tax director who, Ms Larsen claimed, disclosed her own experience of harassment and explained she did not take action against the perpetrator.

Ms Larsen made a formal complaint about Young in early March.

Almost two weeks later, she claimed she was approached by two colleagues whom she barely knew and encouraged to withdraw her complaint.

She said the situation escalated in January 2023 during Friday drinks at Customs House Bar

Ofir Larsen is pictured speaking at an investment session in Sydney

She claimed the conversations took place during a farewell event at the Argyle in Sydney’s CBD. EY denies these conversations took place. 

Ms Larsen claimed one colleague, who was friends with Young, told her the sexual harassment complaint was causing Young so much stress that he could take his own life.

According to her statement of claim, the colleague said: ‘Everyone in this situation is traumatised… you don’t know what people will do in these situations, god forbid, you know, some people commit suicide.’

The colleague also told her to ‘move on’ and to ‘not take it so seriously’.

He then shared his own personal traumatic event, telling Ms Larsen that he was happy he did not take action against his abuser and got on with his life.

Court documents allege that another colleague, in a separate conversation, had encouraged Ms Larsen to ‘move on’ and repeatedly told her to ‘think about what’s best for your career’.

When Ms Larsen said she had spoken to police about the alleged harassment, the colleague is accused of scoffing.

Police were informed about the alleged harassment, court documents say, but the complaint was not pursued due to a lack of physical evidence.

Pictured: The Ernst & Young building in Sydney’s CBD

Senior consultant Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, (left) died in August 2022 after falling from the terrace deck on the roof of the 11th storey of the Ernst & Young building in Sydney’s CBD

After that night, Ms Larsen claims her colleagues made ‘unfriendly facial expressions and snide comments’ while passing her in the office, and during an organised scavenger hunt later in March.

She said colleagues moved away from her desk, ignored her, and avoided including her in conversations. EY denies this.

EY also denies Ms Larsen’s claims that she had less work than her peers between April and June, and was told she wasn’t hitting her billable hours targets.

Ms Larsen also alleged that she was barred from taking part in a cultural survey by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

The survey was implemented after senior consultant Aishwarya Venkatachalam, 27, took her own life at the Sydney office in August 2022.

The findings were handed down in July 2023 and revealed hundreds of staff had experienced bullying, sexual and racial harassment, but were too scared to report it over fears their careers would be impacted.

According to defence documents, EY claimed all employees were invited to take part in the survey, but that Ms Larsen did not participate because ‘the survey process required only a limited number of participants’.

Ms Larsen quit the firm in June 2023 and revoked her acceptance of a graduate role she was meant to start in January 2024. 

She is seeking a public apology and damages for past and future economic loss, including interest and costs.

EY denies that she is owed an apology, but agrees that she should be compensated.

When contacted for comment, an EY spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘EY Australia cannot comment on matters before the court.’