Bank Calls Cops On Black Detroit Man Trying To Deposit Checks From Racial Discrimination Lawsuit
A Detroit man went to a bank to cash his settlement checks after winning a discrimination lawsuit against his employer that settled confidentially, but the bank refused.
The Detroit Free Press reports that after declining to cash or deposit Sauntore Thomas’ settlement checks, TCF Bank in Livonia called the police and initiated a fraud investigation. The bank’s actions prompted another lawsuit.
On Wednesday (Jan. 22), Thomas sued the bank for alleged race discrimination, saying the Livonia branch mistreated and humiliated him by calling four police officers when all he was trying to do was deposit legitimate checks, the Free Press reports.
Police say the bank’s computer system read the checks as fraudulent, the Free Press reports.
On Thursday (Jan. 23), TCF Bank spokesman Tom Wennerberg said the bank abhors racism and it was not a factor in how the bank handled Thomas’ requests, the Free Press reports. Wennerberg added that the checks Thomas presented displayed a watermark that read VOID when they were scanned in a web viewer.
"I didn't deserve treatment like that when I knew that the check was not fraudulent," Thomas told the Free Press. "I'm a United States veteran. I have an honorable discharge from the Air Force. They discriminated against me because I'm Black. None of this would have happened if I were white."
Additionally, Thomas told the Free Press that two officers questioned him inside, while two others stood guard outside of the bank where he’s been an account holder for nearly two years.
Thomas also said the checks cleared 12 hours later, the Free Press reports.
TCF issued an apology, saying, “We apologize for the experience Mr. Thomas had at our banking center. Local police should not have been involved. We strongly condemn racism and discrimination of any kind. We take extra precautions involving large deposits and requests for cash and in this case, we were unable to validate the checks presented by Mr. Thomas and regret we could not meet his needs.”
