Steven Cohen  |  February 14, 2020

Category: Discrimination

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J.P Morgan Building logoJPMorgan Chase has been hit with a class action lawsuit by a personal banker claiming the bank discriminates against African American employees.

Plaintiff Angela Dunn states that JPMorgan has a segregated employment policy where African American Personal Bankers are placed at lower-income branches.

In addition, the plaintiff states that the defendant did not provide these personal bankers with the same opportunities to be promoted or transferred than non-African American employees.

Dunn is an African American resident of Orleans Parish, La. and worked at numerous JPMorgan branches in New Orleans. She claims she was the subject of racially different treatment at the Chase branches where she worked.

She alleges that her white manager fired seven African American employees and was quicker to discipline and fire African American employees than he was to discipline and fire white employees who were involved in similar infractions. She also claims that her white manager sent her racist text messages.

Dunn says that although she pursued opportunities to develop her skill set with the company, she was continuously denied promotions. In addition, she states she was repeatedly passed over for management positions.

In addition, the JPMorgan class action states that the last time she applied for a management position she was told that her performance numbers were not high enough. However, Dunn claims that her performance numbers are limited by her placement in low-performing branches with less wealthy clientele.

“Through Plaintiff’s entire tenure with Chase, Plaintiff only recalls one African American employee receiving a promotion, and that individual had to first go through the military to receive a veteran’s preference before he received the promotion,” says the JPMorgan class action lawsuit.

The plaintiff claims that non-African American Personal Bankers were placed at higher-income branches because of their race.

“Because African American Personal Bankers are disproportionately placed at lower-income branches, they are paid less than their non-African American co-workers in higher-income branches, as their pay is based, in part, on commission,” claims the JPMorgan discrimination class action lawsuit.

The plaintiff maintains that the defendant has engaged in a “nationwide pattern” of race discrimination and has nationwide policies that discriminate against African American Personal Bankers.

Dunn says JPMorgan engages in “open race matching” and “racial steering” by placing African American Bankers in lower performing and unsafe branches, which results in a segregated workforce.

In addition, JPMorgan disproportionately assigns African American Personal Bankers to branches that have experienced more criminal activity, which places them in a more unsafe workplace environment than non-African American employees.

Also, Dunn maintains that JPMorgan has a “Private Client” program which is reserved for customers with more than $250,000 in assets at Chase bank. These programs are in affluent areas which are absent from African American communities. Thus, African American Personal Bankers are disproportionately excluded from becoming Private Client Personal Bankers.

“The racially discriminatory policies and practices at Chase are uniform and national in scope. Class members relying on Plaintiff to protect their rights work or worked at Chase branches across the country and were harmed by these same policies and practices,” claims that JPMorgan class action lawsuit.

JPMorgan settled a similar lawsuit in September 2018 for $24 million, which was brought by African American employees who also claimed the bank discriminated against them because of their race.

Have you experienced discrimination working at JPMorgan Chase? Leave a message in the comments section below.

The plaintiff is represented by Philip Bohrer and Scott E. Brady of Bohrer Brady LLC, and Jay D. Ellwanger and Esha Rajendran of Ellwanger Law LLLP.

The JPMorgan Chase Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit is Dunn v. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, Case No. 2:20-cv-00483, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

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31 thoughts onJPMorgan Chase Class Action Alleges Racial Discrimination

  1. Natalie Matthews-george says:

    I work for JP Morgan chase also knows has Washington Mutual. I have been fighting against them they have ruin my life had lawsuit no one would stand with me I am very interested if I can be assist in my case. I received and email for Attorney Crump advising me to seek legal representation.

  2. IKnowWhatYouDid says:

    JPMorgan Chase’s investment banking division has stacks of NDAs that Black investment bankers were forced to sign as part of their separation agreements. Look for employees who worked there from the late 1990s and early 2000s who were pushed out or “signaled” out at key career inflection points. Managers created false records of poor performance, they intimidated bankers, denied them promotions, laid them off disproportionately during downturns. They even did petty things like giving offices to more junior bankers and relegating higher-performing, more senior Black bankers to cubicles.

    1. Daryl West says:

      Add me, if you can. I am in Texas. Does that matter? I am a customer . Does that matter?

  3. DOMINIQUE says:

    I dont work at chase but have been discriminated against while there doing my job which requires me to withdraw cashiers checks for large sums. My Asian and Hispanic colleagues never have the issues I have with verification and some time denial of service. Please help

  4. Helen Holmes says:

    Add me please

  5. Gloria says:

    Do they discriminate against their mortgage holders of African American decent also? I know this is not what this lawsuit is about. I am searching for answers is all.

    1. Sophia Seide says:

      I am also searching for the answer. I started a petition on change.org about unfair lending practices to minorities when it pertains to mortgages.

  6. Vanessa Lognion says:

    I have experienced racism in the corporate office. Please add me. I have sent email letters to my manager, ED, MD, and Diversity and Inclusion MD to no avail.

  7. Mia McQuay says:

    I have experienced racial discrimination at Chase over my fifteen year career with the bank. I have various modes of communication that is proves harassment and discrimination. I didn’t want to bring any of it forward because by nature I am passive. I fear my silence has emboldened the Leaders of the Loan centers for which I work to continue their racist and sexist practices unchecked.

  8. JA says:

    Got let go for beliefs around Juneteenth half day.

  9. Personal Banker says:

    My experience is currently the same thing, and it’s not just African Americans! I’m Puerto Rican and I work in an upper class branch it’s not just the managers, DMs, coworkers and even customers are racist!!! And the only reason why I get transferred there was because an old DM from my old District recommended me and I’m a high performer as a PB. They look at me like WTH are you doing here. Chase says they’re diverse but that’s not true. I’m the only Spanish (brown) personal banker, the other 5 bankers are relationship bankers and two CPC bankers are all white. I make less than all, they all help each other out like the CPC would help the RB reach their monthly gold under the table.
    A lot of shady mass but as usual YOU CANT PROVE IT. The white bankers get to leave early too, I close everyday at 6:30p ugh ? I emailed my manager once and spoke to him almost every week for over a year now about letting me leave early but nothing. White banker get better treatment and it shows, I have my over 12 months worth of schedule to prove it. I could count how many times I left early with my fingers for the year. So not fair

    1. Personal Banker says:

      Oops *some are racist

  10. Danah says:

    Please add me. I worked for them for 10 years and I can speak on my experiences with racism

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