Sauntore Thomas of Detroit, Michigan tried to deposit a settlement check from a workplace racial discrimination lawsuit earlier this week and was met with further racial discrimination at his bank.
Thomas had just settled the lawsuit against his former employer, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, and went straight to his bank, TCF Bank, from his attorney’s office to cash his check. He reportedly told bank staff he would like to open a savings account, deposit his settlement money, then withdraw some cash.
But the assistant bank manager told Thomas the check “verification system” wasn’t working and that she’d have to “call in the checks.” He said she treated him suspiciously the whole encounter and even asked him where he got the money from. He told the manager it was a settlement check and that he would wait in the lobby for the check verification.
Minutes later, four officers from the Livonia PD arrived and questioned Thomas about the legitimacy of the checks.
“I didn’t give them any type of indication that I was getting upset,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I stayed as levelheaded as possible, because I wasn’t going to be the next person on the ground saying, ‘I can’t breathe.'”
Thomas, of course, closed his TCF Bank account on the spot and went to a nearby Chase Bank to open an account instead.
Sounds like Mr.Thomas might have another discrimination check to cash very soon.
