Rami Awad’s more than three years as a branch employee of National City Bank ended badly -- and a jury is about to hear what happened.
In 2007, Awad was fired on the grounds that he improperly opened several accounts and processed a loan without the customer’s authorization. But that’s not the real reason he was let go, he claims. Awad, an Arabic Muslim of Palestinian descent, sued the bank and a former supervisor and the case is set for trial April 26 in federal court.
Awad, 32, contends he was fired in retaliation for a claim filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in February 2007. He also claims he was subject to a hostile work environment.
U.S. District Judge James Gwin recently dismissed several other claims by Awad of discrimination related to promotions, pay, punishment and termination, but allowed Awad’s claims of retaliatory firing and a hostile work environment to proceed.
A spokesman for PNC Financial Services Inc., which bought National City in late 2008, declined to comment. The bank and co-defendant Nancy Malta have filed court documents denying Awad’s allegations.
In his complaint, Awad claims that he was harassed by his fellow employees because of his religion and nationality.
In one instance, while working as a part-time teller at a branch in Boardman, the manager said to Awad in front of others, “You are probably one of the terrorists on the watch list,” according to the complaint.
At the bank’s McKinley branch, when Awad spoke on the phone in Arabic, a bank officer would make discriminatory comments such as “Rami is about to bomb something,” the complaint states.
Awad later worked at a branch in Wexford, Pa., where his duties also included opening accounts. He claims the branch manager, Malta, told him drinking alcohol with colleagues is part of the job, and that if someone doesn’t drink he should not be in banking.
Awad claims Malta knew he did not consume alcohol because of his Muslim faith.
The EEOC claim alleged that Awad was passed over for promotion because of his national origin. Awad claims that prior to his EEOC hearing, Malta threatened to have him fired.
Awad settled the claim, he said, after being informed by the bank’s attorney that the person who got a job Awad wanted received no raise with the promotion. But the promoted employee later told Awad he did get a raise, court documents state.
Shortly after the EEOC hearing, the bank began investigating Awad after a customer complained to the manager of a branch in Pennsylvania about an account he didn’t know had been opened. The bank asserts Awad opened three different customer accounts without their approvals.
Awad denies opening any accounts without customer authorization, although he admits he may not have always obtained a signature card. He also claims he likely submitted a loan application by mistake.
Following an investigator’s recommendation, Awad was fired on June 25, 2007.
Gwin states that while the bank claims its investigation of Awad “was a normal response,” the bank’s investigator could only recall one similar fraud investigation. That case involved an employee who admitted to fraudulently opening accounts and forging signature cards.