Former employee accuses Bank of America of discrimination

A Collin County woman is suing over claims she was wrongfully terminated due to alleged racial and gender discrimination.

Quionna Brooks filed a lawsuit Oct. 29 in the Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas against Bank of America NA, citing discrimination.

According to the complaint, Brooks received only positive reviews for her performance as an assistant vice president, office team manager II and customer service representative for the defendant from the start of her employment in 2000 until October 2012, when she began reporting to a new unit manager, D.J. Ford, a white male.

The complaint states Ford set out to terminate or transfer all black female employees in the plaintiff's position at that location. Brooks says Ford terminated her for allegedly giving a directive on a file to Sharon Clay, a black female who reported to Brooks, which was eventually caught by Jovania Alphonse, a black female, in the quality control department, the suit states. Clay and Alphonse separately told Brooks that Ford had attempted to coerce them into stating that Brooks had given that directive when she had not, according to the suit.

The defendant is accused of race discrimination, wrongful termination - race discrimination, color discrimination, wrongful termination - color discrimination, sex/gender discrimination and wrongful termination - sex/gender discrimination.

Brooks seeks compensatory and punitive damages, including front pay, back pay, and interest, attorney fees and court costs.

She is represented by attorneys Matthew R. Scott, Joe Kendall and Javier Perez of The Kendall Law Group in Dallas.

Sherman Division of the Eastern District of Texas case number: 4:14-CV-00689.