A Black man is suing a Detroit bank, claiming he was racially profiled after trying to deposit settlement checks.
Sauntore Thomas, 44, a U.S. Air Force veteran, walked into a TCF Bank branch in Livonia, Michigan, carrying three checks.
They were settlement payments from a previous racial discrimination case with his employer. Together, they totaled nearly $100,000.
Instead of depositing them, staff refused service and branded the checks fraudulent. Within minutes, police were called.
Thomas said he felt “humiliated” and “embarrassed” as officers interrogated him while others guarded the door.
“It was embarrassing. If I was white, this wouldn’t be happening,” he told local reporters.
His lawyer, Deborah Gordon, confirmed the checks were quickly cleared at another bank within 24 hours.
“They could have verified the checks instantly,” Gordon said. “Instead, they assumed fraud. Why? Because my client is Black.”
Thomas described being terrified as officers barked orders, fearing the situation could spiral dangerously.
Gordon said bank staff dismissed her attempts to intervene and refused to let her speak with a manager.
“They never believed him, never believed me,” she said. “The assumption was simple: Black man, big checks, must be fraud.”
TCF Bank later admitted police should not have been called, releasing a statement condemning “racism and discrimination of any kind.”
The bank claimed it was taking “extra precautions” with the large deposits, but Gordon wasn’t buying it.
“It’s their job to verify checks,” she said. “They weren’t honest. They were making things up.”
Lawsuit Filed for Damages
Thomas has now filed a lawsuit, accusing the bank of racial discrimination and demanding compensation for the ordeal.
The suit refers to the case as “banking while Black,” a phrase highlighting racial profiling in financial institutions.
Thomas’ checks were issued by Enterprise Leasing Co. of Detroit: $59,000, $27,000, and $13,000. All three cleared immediately elsewhere.
Gordon said her client’s treatment was rooted in prejudice: “They saw a Black man in jeans with money and judged him.”
For Thomas, the scars are lasting. “I was treated like a criminal. That’s not something you forget.”
Featured image credit: WXYZ
