In a shocking video (WARNING: violence, profanity, NSFW), a man punches a woman in the face in the waning hours of the Brooklyn Pride parade last night. The man, alleged to be Jonathan Kaye, a managing director at investment bank Moelis & Company, appears to have been splashed with a liquid prior to the altercation.
Kaye is immediately upbraided by fellow pedestrians, who, among a string of expletives, call him a "horrible person". In response, Kaye says, "She f***ing threw s*** all over me!" He then realizes he's being recorded and quickly walks away.
Kaye appears to be a big hitter at Moelis, a relatively large firm with over 1,500 employees on six continents and annual revenue over $1.5 billion. Kaye is registered representative, which means he is subject to FINRA regulations. Disciplinary measures will be adjudicated by a panel of registered representatives in accordance with FINRA rules and guidance.
It's unfortunate for Kaye that the video didn't start sooner, thereby providing more context. Perhaps he was on the receiving end of verbal abuse, or even concerned that he had been splashed with acid or a flammable liquid. Short of that, it's difficult to imagine what prompted such a violent response.
In the current climate of heightened awareness and racial/religious sensitivity, this incident will almost certainly come under greater scrutiny. Kaye is a Jewish investment banker, and the person he punched is a black woman celebrating Pride. It's like the plot of a bad Netflix drama.
