Wells Fargo Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination

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Wells Fargo Bank NA is facing a class action lawsuit alleging the company perpetuates a culture of discrimination in branches throughout the country.

Plaintiff Frank Hightower, an African American man who formerly worked as a store manager at Wells Fargo branches in Philadelphia and Atlanta, alleges he was retaliated against after he reported observations of racial bias and discriminatory compensation and promotion practices.

“Defendant has developed and continually reinforces a centralized corporate culture that is implemented at each of its retail banking branches and human resources and recruiting departments throughout the country,” the Wells Fargo class action lawsuit alleges.

“This practice is done, in part, to ensure that a uniform Wells Fargo culture operates consistently throughout all of its retail banking branches,” the Wells Fargo class action lawsuit continues. “Within this structure also exists a companywide discriminatory culture.”

According to the racial discrimination class action lawsuit, Wells Fargo uses a quota system when considering diversity hiring. “However, compensation levels and retention of the hires based on this mandate fall far below those of their similarly-situated counterparts,” the Wells Fargo class action lawsuit alleges.

Hightower says he began working for Wells Fargo as a personal banker in about September 2012. In 2014, he was promoted to Store Manager, which was allegedly part of Wells Fargo’s plan to increase diversity among its store managers. At the time of his promotion, there were no other African American store managers, the Wells Fargo class action lawsuit alleges.

On July 1, 2015, Hightower says he notified Wells Fargo’s human resources department that a Caucasian district manager was treating a Caucasian employee more favorably than a similarly-situated African American employee with regard to increases in compensation.

After he made the report of discrimination, Hightower says he experienced retaliation from the district manager, including harassment, static salary, disciplinary write-ups, and other allegedly unsubstantiated attempts at corrective action. Hightower says the district manager’s retaliatory behavior created a discriminatory basis for his eventual termination from his employment at Wells Fargo.

Although he applied for numerous promotions and transfer opportunities in the area, Hightower was rejected. He was eventually hired as a Store Manager in Atlanta, but experienced a pay cut for this lateral transfer, the Wells Fargo class action lawsuit alleges.

Again, Hightower alleges he experienced discrimination and was subjected to unwarranted corrective action. When he questioned why his first corrective action in Atlanta was considered a final warning, he was allegedly told that it was based on “the other stuff that happened in Philly.” He alleges this statement demonstrates a continuation of the retaliation he experienced when he was working in Philadelphia.

Hightower accuses Wells Fargo of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1991, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, Philadelphia common law, and other rights.

This is not the first time Wells Fargo has been accused of racial discrimination. In fact, a $35.5 million class action settlement involving racial discrimination by Wells Fargo was granted final approval by a federal judge earlier this year.

Hightower is represented by Zakia Moore of McCain Law PC.

The Wells Fargo Racial Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit is Hightower v. Wells Fargo Bank NA, Case No. 2:17-cv-04119, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.