Ex-Employee Accuses First Citizens Bank of Fostering Racial, Gender Discrimination

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A proposed class and collective action alleges First Citizens Bank fosters a workplace environment in which racial and gender discrimination are allowed to flourish, and consistently provides better positions and wages to white male employees than minority and female employees.

The 39-page lawsuit alleges that although the First Citizens manual touts the bank’s apparent commitment to providing equal employment opportunities and promoting inclusion and diversity among its workforce, diversity has instead “been subverted at every turn.”

Per the suit, defendants First Citizens Corporation, First Citizens Bank & Trust Company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. and three executives have violated federal civil rights and equal pay laws by discriminating against minority and/or female employees.

The plaintiff in the case, a Black woman who worked at nearly two dozen First Citizens branches in South Carolina, claims to have witnessed over her more than 14-year tenure “widespread discriminatory employment practices based on race and gender.” According to the complaint, the plaintiff estimates that out of the roughly 1,000 First Citizens employees she worked with throughout her employment, only about 15 were men of color. Moreover, none of the bank’s 17 managers at its South Carolina branches are Black, the case adds.

As the lawsuit tells it, the lack of diversity among First Citizens’ leadership has created a hostile work environment where stereotypes and biases are “condoned and perpetuated.” Per the suit, the plaintiff and other employees at the bank’s South Carolina branches have witnessed racist customers harass and threaten Black employees without rebuke, even after employees have complained to management.

For example, the complaint describes an incident during which the plaintiff was allegedly threatened by a drive-through customer who, when asked to provide identification, gave the plaintiff his concealed weapons permit and gestured to his glove box, asking, “if she knew what was in there in a threatening manner.” Though the plaintiff and other employees complained about the incident to human resources and branch’s area executive, one of the individual defendants, the executive refused to cancel the customer’s account, despite being instructed to by HR, the case says.

Per the complaint, other customers at First Citizens branches were permitted to make “racially coded comments” and demonstrate “unwelcome discriminatory conduct” toward Black, minority and female employees for years while management took no action to protect them. The suit alleges that the situation created a hostile work environment that exposed workers to “extreme anxiety, humiliation, frustration, and sadness.”

The lawsuit goes on to claim that the apparent lack of diversity among First Citizens’ leadership team has also resulted in Black, minority and female employees being disproportionately denied employment advancement opportunities as compared to white male employees. Per the suit, white males “drastically outnumber” Black and minority workers at the area-management level.

Moreover, the plaintiff claims that she and other Black female employees were paid “far less” than white male employees for jobs requiring equal skill, effort and responsibility and performed under similar work conditions. For instance, the case says, the plaintiff was paid $15.50 per hour while working as a senior sales and services representative, while a white male with less tenure was being paid $17.00 per hour for the same role.

The plaintiff further alleges that she observed many instances in which white male employees were promoted to positions that were never posted, which allegedly had the effect of “freezing out” qualified Black, minority and female employees who would have applied for those positions.

The lawsuit looks to cover current, former and future Black and minority employees who worked or will work at one of First Citizens’ South Carolina branches as a teller, floater or financial services and sales representative and was subjected to unwelcome racist or threatening white customers, was denied a promotion or access to promotional job openings, or was paid less than similarly situated white employees at any time during the applicable liability or statute of limitations period and until the date of judgment.

Also proposed is a class of female employees who have been, are now, or will be employed by First Citizens as a teller or financial services and sales representative in South Carolina branch locations at any time during the applicable liability or statute of limitations period through the date of judgment in the case.

The suit also looks to cover female bank tellers, floaters and financial services and sales representatives who have been, are now, or will be employed by First Citizens’ Charleston, South Carolina area branch location at any time during the applicable liability or statute of limitations period through the date of judgment in the case.

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