Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.
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.
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING
Top Class Actions is a Proud Member of the American Bar Association
LEGAL INFORMATION IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Top Class Actions Legal Statement
©2008 – 2024 Top Class Actions® LLC
Various Trademarks held by their respective owners
This website is not intended for viewing or usage by European Union citizens.
21 thoughts onWells Fargo Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination
They do discriminate, I apply for a secured credit card and was denied. Please add.e to this law suite
I’ve been banking with Wells Fargo since I was 4 years old. All of my accounts have been in good standard and my credit scores are all high. I applied for 3 different loans over the span of 13 years in total and each time I was denied. What’s even more bizarre is that this bank would always send me a pre approved mailer for loans that I’d later be denied for. I’m thinking about just switching from this bank to a credit union. We need Black Wall Street back!
Yes I believe Wells Fargo discriminated against my wife and I. I am Hispanic and my wife is Asian. We were owners of a home with payments currently payed to date until my wife was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Because of her illness she had to cut her hours of work drastically. This left a strain on our finances and went to seek help from W.F. We made numerous attempts to set up appointments for a loan consolidation or any other type of help to try from defaulting on our monthly payments. On each appointment we were denied any type of help which led to the heartbreaking decision to give up the house. A short sale was also denied and soon after using up almost all our saving we made the ultimate decision to just let them have the keys and move out. We had the house for several years and estimated we lost about $200,000 of our own money. No one would help us so we just had to walk away!
Wells Fargo would not refinance our home in 2009. We had to do a quick sale. neighbors of other race in the same neighborhood was able to get refinanced. Yes Wells Fargo discrimates.
smiths
My loan was also denied, citing not enough history.
As I believe the exact as Ms. Sion!
If Wells Fargo give you a loan, the interest is off the chain. Yes they do discriminate via race!
Yes Wells Fargo Bank does discriminate in doing business with African-Americans and minority clients. I experienced it when I applied for a loan to build our church. And what Wells Fargo did was approve the loan. But later stated after the approval that they needed All my property for collateral. My property was valued at a $1,500,000. The loan that they were willing to give me was only for $300,000. The loan could not build the church that I orioriginall wanted to build. So I went with something very simple. I had a general contractor in mind for the building of our church and Wells Fargo refused him. He was an African American contractor. This contractor have been in business for more than twenty years and build shopping centers, shopping strips and Commercial businesses. However Wells Fargo chose a Caucasian contractor who had no experience building commercial buildings or anthing else. We later found out that his experience was mostly driveways. The loan that Wells Fargo granted for the $300,000 they wanted all of our property for collateral. However the property had several platts which we could have used only a couple of the platts to substantiate collateral for the loan. However Wells Fargo refused that amount. Wells Fargo stated that they could use only the whole property as collateral or none or the loan will be forfeited. Wells Fargo allowed this contractor to get behind on every verbal deadline that he made. The contractor originally stated he would have the building completed in months. It was a very simple A-frame still building. However this man could not even meet a lot of the specs. He couldn’t get anything through City Hall and I had to actually go to City Hall since I formally worked for city government and get things up pushed ahead and approved for him. Then he would give us verbal deadlines and did not meet one. So I went back to Wells Fargo several times concerning this contractor. Not meeting timelines, penalties and the hardship it was costing us. Wells Fargo. Did absolutely Nothing. Wells FArgo stated Wells Fargo Bank was supervising this project and that was the only way thr construction would proceed. Wells Fago chose the contractor; demanded all the property as collateral; refused to penalize the Caucasian contractor for any infraction of our agreement and the Loan to property value was Illegal. I was even promised Government set aside funds for the community in which the church was located. We received nothing of the sort via Wells Fargo Bank. It took this contractor almost 3 years to Build a A-Frame building it should have taken 3 to 6 months. Wells Fargo Bank refuse to allow me to bring in a general contractor to supervise the project. Wells Fargo said that only they could supervise this building project. And told me if I got any one to supervise it they will withdraw loan. It’s definite discrimination. And in addition to that the man did not complete our building for two and a half years started at 2004 winners of the building in 2007. And every time I talk to Wells Fargo about penalizing him. I even expressed to Paul Gianelli one of the branch loan officers that I was not going to sign another draw because this guy wasn’t doing his job. They never penalized the contractor financially and he was 2 years behind schedule. As I stated to Wells Fargo if it had been anyone else especially a minority he would have been penalized coming through his nose. Which they did not do in this case. Also the contractor was so delayed and so slowful in completing the project by the time we got in the building we had lost most of our congregation. Almost three years and not only that it was so many bills and notes were due. While he’s building and dragging his feet and Wells Fargo’s going along with it. I was constantly on the phone talking to Wells Fargo Bank about him not meeting timelines. Wells Fargo Bank does discriminate in doing business with African Americans clients. I experienced it went I applied for a loan to build our Church. loan that they were willing to give me was only for $300,000. The loan could not bill the church dad originally that I wanna to build. So I wanted something very simple. I had a general contractor in mind for the building of our church and Wells Fargo refuse him he was in African American contractor. This contractor have been in business for more than 20 years and build shopping centers shopping strips in commercial businesses. However well Fargo selected a Caucasian contractor who had no experience building commercial buildings we later found out all is he only had done a few driveways. After the building was finally erected. Wells Fargo tried to foreclose on our church to take a property and the building valued more than 2.5 million dollars. Wells Fargo also sent a evaluate an appraiser out from Wells Fargo’s bank and tried to downplay the value of a property after the building was on there and the building the land was worth 1 million V sell the actual Building made it worth about 2.5 million dollars. Wells Fargo appraiser try to appraise it for 1.5 million dollars with a building on there. So therefore I called Wells Fargo about this problem and they couldn’t give me an explanation at all. Yes Wells Fargo bank does discriminate definitely.
I do believe what Ms Lee had stated above. Where there is a high population of Hispanic they is alot of discrimination going on. I was trying to get a loan several years ago to buy my bosses company My husband applied for the loan originally at Wells. They told him he was approved . And to come in to do the paperwork. Once My husband and I got there and they seen that he was Caucasian and I was black everything changed they gave us the run around and needed to go register the business which we did. They said the underwriter would be contacting me. They knew the timeframe i had in order to buy the company said I would hear from them before that. Never did I tried calling them and was transferred at least three different times. So we went to the busy and no one could tell us anything. Finally we got a call they stated my husbands credit was immaculate but his income was not enough meantime my income was over 45,000 a year and my boss was backing us up. They said we would have to do the application all over again.(They new the time limit when we would need loan but the did not care. If I wouldn’t have gone in there with my husband he would have gotten the loan I believe
I do believe what Ms. Lee stated