American Express class action alleges company illegally favors Black employees - Top Class Actions
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American Express class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Brian Netzel filed a class action lawsuit against American Express Company.
- Why: Netzel claims American Express illegally favors its Black employees over and at the expense of its white workers.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Arizona federal court.
A former American Express manager accused the company of illegally favoring Black workers and providing a financial incentive for its executives to help enforce the company’s “racial quotas.”
Plaintiff Brian Netzel claims American Express became a “racially toxic” work environment where rules were enforced differently based on “identity group membership.”
“The company’s policies incentivized coworkers and supervisors to use race as a cudgel through which personal grudges and ambitions could be executed,” the American Express class action states.
Netzel argues American Express’ alleged favoring of its Black employees led to “hundreds” of white employees being let go from the company or forced to leave “because they could not tolerate the racially repressive environment.”
“For those that remained, American Express deducted the difference between the working conditions promised and those received from their hearts and their self-esteem and their mental health,” the American Express class action states.
American Express class action alleges retaliatory behavior over hiring decisions
American Express wants its percentage of Black employees to “match that of the U.S. population,” the lawsuit claims.
Executives who were “unwilling to make employment decisions based purely on race rather than merit,” meanwhile, would either be punished, scolded or let go from the company entirely, the American Express class action alleges.
“Once American Express and (CEO Stephen Squeri) handed down their racial engineering marching orders, it gave executives carte blanche to ruthlessly implement a racial caste and quota system in the company,” according to the lawsuit.
Netzel claims American Express violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . He demands a jury trial and requests declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of general, compensatory and punitive damages for himself and all class members.
Netzel wants to represent a class of all “past, present or potential white employees of American Express” who will be, have been or are being discriminated against in the terms and conditions of their employment on account of their race.
A separate lawsuit was filed against American Express last year over claims the company wrongly listed that he was dead , preventing him from being able to receive credit. The case is currently stayed pending arbitration.
Have you ever felt like you were being discriminated against at your workplace? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by David Pivtorak of The Pivtorak Law Firm and Aaron T. Martin of Martin Law and Mediation PLLC.
The American Express class action lawsuit is Netzel v. American Express Company, et al. , Case No. 2:22-cv-01423, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona.
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