A US man who tried to deposit a cheque from a racial discrimination case is suing TCF Bank, after alleging they refused to help him because he is black.
Detroit man, Sauntore Thomas,44, was attempting to open a savings account and cash his cheque at TFC bank in Michigan on Tuesday.
When Thomas approached the assistant manager he alleges she treated him suspiciously, refusing to cash the cheque and asking him how he got the money in the first place.
His lawsuit states the bank told Thomas the verification system was not working, so he told the manager "however long it takes, I’ll wait".
"She said 'OK' and walked away. Ten minutes later, the Livonia Police show up," Thomas told Buzzfeed news.
He was questioned for an hour by police, according to The New York Times.
But Lieutenant Charles Lister said Thomas was not handcuffed or patted down.
"He was never told he could not leave by our officers," Lister told The New York Times.
Thomas' lawyer, Deborah Gordan, said she has seen this situation before.
"I have had this with black clients before," said Gordan.
"There can be a lot of questions when they suddenly have money."
TCF Bank spokesman Tom Wennerberg later issued a statement condemning racism.
"We apologize for the experience Mr Thomas had at our banking centre. Local police should not have been involved.
" We strongly condemn racism and discrimination of any kind.
"We take extra precautions involving large deposits and requests for cash and in this case, we were unable to validate the checks presented by Mr Thomas and regret we could not meet his needs," Wennerberg said.
Thomas has since changed bank accounts and has moved to Chase bank in Detroit, according to Detroit Free Press. He was able to cash the cheque there.
The lawsuit is currently seeking a jury trial.
