A former employee accuses Academy Bank of racial discrimination and retaliation.
Donnetta Wheeler filed her lawsuit in federal court against Academy Bank.
According to the complaint, Wheeler worked for the bank from June 2013 to April 2022. Wheeler, who is Black, says she frequently was harassed and abused by bank Vice President Lisa Germonprez. Wheeler claims she often was criticized unreasonably for her performance and that Germonprez did not treat white employees under her supervision in the same hostile manner.
Wheeler also accuses Kelly Lis, her direct supervisor and another Vice President, of failing to address her complaints about Germonprez's behavior. She claims that during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was singled out to work at the office every Monday while all other employees under Lis' supervision were allowed to work from home.
In March 2022, Wheeler applied for a position in another department but was passed over for another employee. She believes this decision was influenced by her previous complaints about racial discrimination.