HR Dive, February 24, 2020: JPMorgan Chase sued for allegedly placing Black bankers at lower-income branches
Dive Brief:
- JP Morgan Chase is the target of a new Section 1981 class-action lawsuit alleging that it discriminated against African American personal bankers by placing them at lower-income branches with fewer transfer and promotion opportunities (Dunn v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 20-cv-00483 (E.D. Louisiana Feb. 11, 2020)).
- Personal bankers are branch-based, according to the complaint, and their pay is based in part on commission. The complaint alleges that JP Morgan refused to transfer or promote African American personal bankers “into higher performing branches where they would experience better pay, more opportunities for advancement and fewer risks to their physical safety.”
- These personal bankers were also allegedly denied the opportunity, based on their assignments, to participate in a lucrative “Private Client” program: “Private Client locations are largely in affluent areas and are disproportionality [sic] absent from predominantly African American communities, to which African American Personal Bankers are steered by Chase.” The plaintiffs are requesting front and back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive relief and a jury trial.
