BARTOW, Fla. —A member of MidFlorida Credit Union has filed a lawsuit alleging she was injured as a result of “banking while Black.”
The allegation was made by a retired Polk County, Fla., teacher and CU member Linda Stephens and Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney. The suit was filed in Orange County, Fla., and alleges that Stephens has been left with a broken nose and PTSD.
"This morning, we have filed a lawsuit against MidFlorida Credit Union for 'banking while Black’," Crump was quoted by WESH-TV said.
According to Crump and the WESH-TV report, in April of 2021 Stephens deposited $600 in cash at a Bartow, Fla.-branch of MidFlorida Credit Union so she could pay her mortgage.
"Then saw it wasn't showing in her account the next day," Crump was quoted as saying.
According to Stephens, she shared her story with the credit union and showed her receipt, saying she was told to come back more than three times and that it could be days before she got her money.
"He said, 'If you look behind me, you can see the truck of the man here working on the ATM machine,' because something had happened with the machine," Stephens stated, according to WESH-TV.
‘Irate and Yelling’
"Added Crump, “They acknowledged that the ATM engineer had the $600 in cash. She says, ‘I'm not leaving here without my money’.”
According to a police report cited by WESH-TV, when Stephens arrived at the branch she became "irate and started yelling and arguing with employees."
But, as WESH-TV reported, in her lawsuit, Stephens alleges she was simply asking for the money she deposited to pay her bills as a member there for nearly 50 years.
‘Shoot and Tase’
The police report further states employees told Stephens her funds were being processed digitally and would be ready in an hour, WESH-TV said. But that she "yelled that law enforcement would shoot and tase her," disturbing members, the report said.
In her lawsuit, Stephens alleges that was not the case, the report said. "Another police officer came in the room with his hand on his gun and said, ‘I thought I heard her say, I have a gun and I'm going to shoot you,’” Stephens stated.
According to WESH-TV, Stephens said the arrest left her with a broken nose and bruising.
The police report said police only used force when Stephens refused to get out of the patrol car and refused to walk on her own. Police, in a report, say they had to carry her inside the police department, handcuff her and place her in a holding cell before she calmed down, WESH-TV said.
Disorderly Conduct Charge
Stephens was also charged with disorderly conduct, but prosecutors dropped the case.
Stephens and Crump are alleging what took place at MidFlorida is a case of discrimination that started with the CU.
According to WESH-TV, Stephens and Crump said in the complaint that a MidFlorida representative showed up after Stephens was released from jail with a gift card and an offer to pay Stephens' mortgage.
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