A Detroit area bank is being sued by a Michigan woman who said that employees refused to cash her check for more than $12,000 that was from a jackpot she won at a casino.
Lizzie Pugh shared her story with CNN, saying she won the money while playing a slot machine at the Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. Pugh was at the casino during a church outing earlier this year.
Wanting to put her winnings in a safe place, Pugh told CNN that she went to Fifth Third Bank in Livonia, Michigan, on April 11, 2022. While at the bank, she wanted to open a savings account and deposit the winnings, court documents said.
However, the complaint says that she was unable to, as three employees at the bank accused Pugh of having a "fraudulent" check.
To make matters worse, the 71-year-old had to confront the workers as they initially refused to give her the check back. The complaint says that Pugh had to ask the employees to call 911 as she wasn't leaving without the check.
Eventually, the Detroit public school retiree was able to get the check back, but only after a third employee told her, she would not be able to do business there.
First Third Bank has denied that their employees decided the check was "fraudulent" in a statement. The company also disputed that any events happened that could result in damages or other relief, a court filing said.
"We are committed to fair and responsible banking and prohibit discrimination of any kind. From our review of the claims, we believe the facts to be different than what is alleged. Our employees are trained to help every customer with their banking needs, and our employees follow procedures to facilitate the opening of any new account," a spokesperson for the bank said to CNN.
But, Pugh and her attorneys are standing by her story, saying that this was just "another example of the hurdles and indignities facing Black Americans as they try to get through the day."
"It is not only young Black men who are profiled," Pugh's attorney Deborah Gordon said to CNN. "Fortunately, Michigan has a strong statute prohibiting discrimination in 'public accommodations,' including banks."
After leaving the bank with her check, Pugh said that she was able to cash it at another bank, adding, "I had this check, and I didn't want it on me now."
"I was so upset; I just took a picture of the bank on my way out because I didn't know the address," she added.
In its statement, the bank said it stands by its employees in this situation which it believes was a misunderstanding.
"From our review of the claims, we believe our employees' actions have been misinterpreted," the bank said. "That said, we regret Ms. Pugh has come away feeling mistreated after her interactions at our branch, as our employees' actions were consistent with our process and the dual goals of serving our customers while also preventing potential frauds that can victimize both the bank and our customers."
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