DETROIT — JPMorgan Chase has been accused in a new lawsuit of subjecting Black job candidates to “fake” interviews as part of what a plaintiff described as a performative approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to court filings cited by Banking Dive.
The proposed class-action lawsuit, filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, alleges that the nation’s largest bank engaged in race discrimination in hiring in violation of state and federal civil rights laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The plaintiff, a financial services professional with more than two decades of industry experience, said JPMorgan Chase passed him over for a less experienced White candidate after conducting what he described as perfunctory interviews, Banking Dive reported. According to the complaint, the bank never requested his resume, which would have documented his qualifications.
‘Pattern of Discrimination’
The lawsuit claims the alleged conduct reflects a broader, longstanding pattern of discrimination at JPMorgan Chase. The bank’s behavior toward the plaintiff is part of an “unbroken pattern of systemic race discrimination against African Americans, including against its Black customers, employees, and applicants,” the complaint said, according to Banking Dive.
“Chase’s treatment of [the plaintiff] appears to be part of an insidious practice of fake interviews,” the lawsuit said. “Fake interviews occur when a company wants to appear to honor diversity but does not have a genuine commitment to diversity.”
The plaintiff alleged such practices harm Black applicants and have a disparate impact. He said an executive recruiter contacted him in May 2024 about a managing director and regional executive role in JPMorgan Chase’s consumer bank in Michigan — a position nearly identical to one he previously held at Bank of America, Banking Dive reported.
Additional Allegations
The lawsuit also alleges the bank has retreated from its diversity commitments as DEI initiatives fell out of favor. In March, JPMorgan Chase renamed its diversity program from “DEI” to “DOI,” replacing “equity” with “opportunity,” the report stated.
JPMorgan Chase did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Banking Dive said.
