Houston Doctor Says She Was Denied Service At A Bank Because Of Her Race
A doctor from Houston, Texas, is suing JPMorgan Chase Bank alleging she was denied service because of her race.
According to KTRK, Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart says on Dec. 18, 2021, she attempted to open an account and deposit a $16,000 check at Chase's First Colony Bank. The check was from her new job at Valley Oaks Medical Group.
Mitchell-Stewart claims the bank employees accused her of attempting to deposit a fraudulent check and denied her service.
Mitchell-Stewart told KTRK, "It was an unfortunate situation. They took my special moment away. I felt like a criminal. I've never done anything wrong. In order to get [sic] Texas medical license or a medical license at all, you have to have a clean record. You have to go to school for so many years, and they just didn't care. They didn't respect that. They didn't respect my credentials."
Her attorney also stated, "Dr. Mitchell-Stewart showed proof of identification. She showed proof that she was a doctor by presenting a business card. She even called employees from her medical group to confirm who she was," added her attorney, Justin Moore.
Chase Bank officials said in a statement to KTRK: "We take this matter very seriously, and are investigating the situation. We have reached out to Dr. Mitchell-Stewart to better understand what happened and apologize for her experience."
