Chase Accused Of Running “Fake” Job Interviews In Racial Bias Lawsuit

Case Overview: A Georgia banking executive is suing JPMorgan Chase, alleging the company conducted fake diversity interviews and passed over qualified Black candidates.

Consumers Affected: Black job applicants and employees allegedly denied equal hiring or promotion opportunities.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit Division

A longtime banking executive has sued JPMorgan Chase, accusing the financial giant of systemic racial discrimination and alleging that the company strung him along in a hiring process it never intended to take seriously. 

The lawsuit claims Chase routinely conducts “fake interviews” with Black candidates to create the appearance of diversity while favoring white applicants behind the scenes.

The case, filed by Bryan Jackson, paints his experience as part of a much larger pattern, one that stretches from hiring and promotion decisions to branch closures and lending practices in Black communities. 

Jackson argues Chase’s public commitments to racial equity mask deeply entrenched practices that continue to disadvantage Black employees, applicants, and customers.

Banking Executive Says Chase Strung Him Along In “Fake” Hiring Process

Jackson, a Georgia resident with more than 20 years in the financial services industry, says his qualifications were well beyond what the job required. He previously held senior leadership roles at Bank of America, overseeing hundreds of branches, billions in deposits, and millions of customers, including managing the entire Michigan region in a role nearly identical to the Chase position he sought.

According to the lawsuit, Chase recruiters approached Jackson directly about a top executive role overseeing more than 200 branches in Michigan. Despite early enthusiasm, Jackson says the process quickly unraveled. He was told he did not need to formally apply or submit a resume, interviews were abruptly shortened, and interviewers appeared disengaged and unprepared.

Ultimately, Chase passed him over and hired a white internal candidate with significantly less experience and responsibility. Jackson alleges the explanation he received, that the company wanted someone with comparable regional experience, directly conflicted with that hiring decision.

Complaint Claims Racial Bias Runs Deeper Than Hiring

The lawsuit claims Jackson’s experience reflects a broader practice at Chase of interviewing Black candidates without genuine intent to hire them. These so-called fake interviews, the complaint alleges, waste candidates’ time, cause emotional harm, and allow the company to claim diversity efforts while preserving existing power structures.

Jackson also points to Chase’s history with Black customers and communities. The lawsuit cites allegations of “banking while Black,” branch closures that disproportionately affected Black neighborhoods, and past government findings that Chase charged Black and Hispanic mortgage borrowers higher rates than similarly qualified white borrowers.

While Chase has publicly promoted multibillion-dollar racial equity initiatives, the lawsuit argues those efforts were largely cosmetic and failed to meaningfully increase Black representation in leadership.

Companies Face Scrutiny Over Discriminatory Employment Practices

Chase isn’t the only company facing allegations of racial discrimination in hiring. Walmart is facing a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the company of racial discrimination in its hiring practices at an Illinois distribution center.

The lawsuit claims the retail giant rejected or revoked job offers for dozens of qualified Black workers with criminal records, even though many had already performed those same roles for years, while retaining non-Black workers with similar histories. 

Meanwhile, in 2024 the EEOC filed three lawsuits alleging that Black employees at Westminster Ingleside King Farm Presbyterian Retirement Communities, Dial America Marketing, and Morton Salt faced race discrimination and retaliation in violation of federal civil rights law, with one case also involving disability discrimination under the ADA and another alleging sex discrimination. 

The lawsuits claim the workers were unfairly denied promotions, falsely accused of misconduct, and fired after complaining about discriminatory treatment.

Jackson is asking the court to certify a class of Black internal and external job candidates who were allegedly subjected to discriminatory hiring practices. He is suing under federal and state civil rights laws, arguing Chase’s actions caused financial losses, emotional distress, and career harm. 

The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages and benefits, damages for emotional harm, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and court-ordered relief aimed at stopping the alleged practices. 

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Jackson v. JPMorgan Chase & Co. & JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
• Case Number: 2:25-cv-13977-MFL-DRG
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Detroit Division

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Jennifer S. Gilbert, Linda D. Friedman, and George S. Robot (Stowell & Friedman, LTD.)

Have you ever suspected a job interview wasn’t genuine? Tell us in the comments.