That track record, however, did not shield him from what followed.
Beginning in 2018, Arden went through total knee replacements on both legs, followed by a series of modification surgical treatments in 2023 and 2025 after problems consisting of serious osteolysis. He took approved medical leaves throughout.
While on leave in mid-2024, Arden received word that his position was being eliminated. His supervisors told him the bank was shifting its companywide focus towards providing home mortgage services in Black, Hispanic, and underserved communities. Arden– a white male over 45– alleges the bank concluded he might not serve because new instructions due to the fact that of his race and gender, and displaced him on that basis alone.
He was likewise informed he would receive a severance bundle: two weeks’ spend for every year worked, plus a 90-day paid non-working period. But when his medical leave expired on January 25, 2025, the bank reclassified his departure as a voluntary retirement, according to court files, and withheld the severance. A February 2025 interaction from Wells Fargo stated the rejection was tied straight to his special needs.
Arden attempted to fix the matter informally, including emailing the bank’s CEO in June 2025. He received no reaction.