Arab-American group claims bank discrimination

Detroit civil rights league sues bank for terminating accounts

Dearborn—The Arab-American Civil Rights League filed a class-action lawsuit against Huntington National Bank after allegations that accounts of more than a hundred people of Middle Eastern descent were closed without cause or explanation.

According to the complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court, the bank’s actions suggest “racial, ethnic, national origin and religious discrimination,” which violate state and federal civil rights laws. Damages are estimated at millions of dollars, and the suit seeks a temporary restraining order barring Huntington from closing accounts for discriminatory reasons.

“It’s a shame,” said attorney Nabih Ayad, the group’s board chairman. “You feel victimized … as if you’re a second-class citizen.”

Maureen Brown, Huntington’s director of public relations, said the bank is “reviewing the information available to us at this time” but cannot comment.

The civil rights league earlier this year asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the bank and launched a complaint hotline for complaints.

Among the Huntington customers affected was Adnan Mouhajer, a businessman from Dearborn Heights. In March, he received letters from the bank saying his business accounts for enterprises in Detroit would close within two weeks, he said. No reason was given.

Unable to reach customer service representatives, Mouhajer sought answers at his local branch. But employees there “had no clue” about the situation, he said, and a manager who called a corporate office was told the decision would be final.

The Lebanese immigrant said he believes his background factored into the account targeting. “It’s ridiculous,” Mouhajer said Thursday. “We’re in 2013, and this is the reason why I immigrated to this country, because it’s a free country. ... Here I am 26 years later — I’m being picked on because of my race.”

The civil rights group has fielded more than 100 similar complaints, including from doctors, pharmacists and other professionals, Ayad said.

Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations–Michigan is asking the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which regulates banks, to investigate similar complaints involving JPMorgan Chase. The group is considering legal action, executive director Dawud Walid said.

Emily Smith, a JPMorgan Chase spokeswoman, said in a statement: “On occasion, Chase determines it can no longer maintain a customer’s account, but those decisions are not based on the customer’s religion, ethnicity or any other similar basis.”