Consumer complaint received 2023-06-01
Company: FIFTH THIRD FINANCIAL CORPORATION
State: OH
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
I started working as an XXXX XXXX at the 5th 3rd Bank  in XXXX Ohio XX/XX/XXXX. I was employed by XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. Soon after starting the job I opened a checking account. 

I also discussed mortgage assistance with XXXX the bank 's financial services employee. 

During my employment I was harassed by Personal Banker I " XXXX, Personal Banker XXXX XXXX XXXX, and Personal Banker XXXX XXXX. All of these women are XXXX. 

I am a XXXX XXXX XXXX white XXXX male. 

XXXX XXXX and " XXXX '' repeatedly made anti-white statements during business hours. 
All of these employees accepted gifts from customers! 

XXXX XXXX took gifts from a XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, homeless XXXX male named XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX stopped helping him. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, " XXXX '' waited on XXXX at the counter. I overheard XXXX arguing with " XXXX ''. 

I quickly arrived to assist. XXXX had threw coins at the plastic portion. 
A few went through the hole the partition. 

XXXX was seen carrying a machete in his bag. It was in a sheath and he never touched it. 

No manager was working that day. 
I was told to escort XXXX out of the branch. I did. 

I was then told not to let XXXX back into the branch. 

XXXX came back a few weeks later. I refused to let him in the bank. He called me many vulgar names and used profanity toward me. The branch manager XXXX XXXX was present. 

XXXX did not call the police. 

XXXX left. 

Then I was told by XXXX that I had to let XXXX back into the branch for the bank to properly close his account. I was told he could not bring the machete into the bank. 

A few weeks later XXXX returned. 

He refused to leave his bag outside the bank. I was XXXX, but not authorized to touch XXXX or use force against him since he was not holding the weapon. 

It was in his bag. 

I followed him into the bank and stood between him and XXXX. XXXX told him the bank was closing his account for assaulting " XXXX ". 

XXXX left. XXXX never called the police on XXXX for bringing machete into bank again. 

Then I was told I had to let XXXX back into the branch again! XXXX advised 5th 3rd Bank couldn't contact XXXX to properly close his account. So the next time XXXX returned he was to be told by 5th 3rd Bank security via the telephone that his account was being closed. 

XXXX returns XX/XX/XXXX About a month later on XX/XX/XXXX, around XXXX XXXX XXXX returned. He had lost his atm card. Also, he wanted XXXX to return the gifts he gave her which included cell phones. 

I followed XXXX into the bank. XXXX left his belongings just inside the bank front door. He refused to leave his bag with the machete outside bank. 

The weapon was not in his hand. He wasn't threatening anyone. So I was not authorized to physically engage with him to take his bag from him. 

However I was an XXXX XXXX. 
I stode by XXXX while he spoke with XXXX. He wanted a new atm card and his gifts back. 

She said she couldn't help. 

XXXX came over. No police were called. 
I was not ask to detain XXXX for police. 

XXXX left around XXXX XXXX. No one said anything to me the rest of the day. 

Fired from job XX/XX/XXXX As I was driving home my operations manager called me. He told me I was being removed from the account due to allowing a man to bring a weapon into the bank. 

Retaliation for complaining about harassment from bank employees Prior to this incident I had complained via texts to my supervisor that I was being harassed by the three bankers. 
I asked to be moved from the assignment. 

I also reported in writing to my supervisor that a brother of an Fifth Third Bank branch employee in XXXX was harassing me every time he came into the bank. 

The harassment from the above-named bank employees included, but was not limited to : having their customers harass me, calling me short, telling me to get out of the bank, refusing to give me the key to use the restroom, and attempting to humiliate in in front of customers. 

Also, once at closing I couldn't find my house keys. The bank employees refused to give me time to look for my keys. 

The next morning I called off work due to my lost keys. I called the bank at XXXX XXXX and asked Personal Banker XXXX XXXX to see if my keys were by the phone I used to clock out at the end of my shift. 

He returned to the call and said No keys were in the office. 

I ended up getting to the bank around XXXX XXXX. As soon as I walk in I saw my keys on the desk in the office I has ask XXXX to check. 

There was an employee on the phone in the office and his door was closed. I couldn't get his attention to get his keys. 

Since the bank didn't have a guard, I went back home and changed into my uniform. I has a headache because I had missed my medication due to lost keys. 

When I got back to the bank the keys were no longer on the desk in the office. No one greeted me or said anything! 
I asked the employees where my keys were. 

The manager wasn't there. 

When I complained in an email to XXXX XXXX about the harassment, he advised me the employees claimed I raised my voice! 

So after abruptly being removed from the account on Tuesday, I returned to the bank on Saturday to get stuff I had left in the lunchroom. 

I was also still a bank customer! 

I recorded my entrance into the bank and the employees refusal to allow me to retrieve items I had left at the bank. 

In frustration I yelled at XXXX XXXX. I told her she never should have taken gifts from the homeless man. 

I left. 

I called bank security at corporate to report theft of my belongings. 

I then started getting harassing calls from 5th 3rd Bank corporate security. 

My online access to my checking account was discontinued. 

I eventually closed my account due to the harassment.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation