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A Black couple is taking legal action against a Detroit-area bank after accusing employees of refusing to cash their $1,000 settlement check four times, the Atlanta Black Star reports.
Shanquese Jones and Bryan Craft Jr. are suing Comerica Bank for racial profiling, alleging that their branch in Rochester Hills, Michigan confiscated their check because they were Black, according to a lawsuit filed on February 16.
Jones, who initially levied the allegations, said the couple received the check from her insurance company. The filing states they were the victims of a vehicle break-in and theft of personal property in November. The Black woman claims she tried cashing the check four times at the bank before it was eventually confiscated.
Bank employees reportedly accused the couple of trying to deposit a fraudulent check, according to court records.
“I never got racially profiled before, so I walked outside, and I was crying,” she stated in an interview with WDIV. “So, it was embarrassing.”
Craft said this wasn't his first time experiencing racial discrimination.
“This wouldn’t be the first time for me, but still, you wouldn’t want anybody to go through that," he stated.
Brandon McNeal, the attorney representing the couple, said Jones did everything right in her attempts to get the money.
“They presented the check, signed the check as well as submitted a thumbprint signature,” McNeal said. “The only thing that they were told was that there was an issue with the check and that they needed to get it reissued, and Ms. Jones did exactly as directed. And to make a long story short, she did that on four different occasions.”
Before filing the lawsuit, McNeal conducted a "test" to see if alleged racial profiling was happening at the suburban bank.
“We sent a white customer to the exact same Comerica Bank branch location, and they had a settlement check for $1,000,” McNeal explained to reporters. “It was drafted up on a Comerica Bank account, and that white customer had none of the same issues.”
Because of this and the experiences of his clients, the attorney moved forward with the lawsuit. The company hasn't commented on pending litigation.
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