Doyle Dennis Avery LLP recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client who formerly worked for American National Bank of Texas. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that American National Bank of Texas knowingly instructed Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client to perform illegal acts, including but not limited to, violating 18 U.S. Code § 1001, by forcing her to change her reports to contain false statements and conceal or cover-up violations of the BSA.     

The lawsuit was filed against American National Bank of Texas in Dallas County, Texas. The lawsuit alleges that American National Bank of Texas wrongfully terminated and retaliated against its former a Strategic Compliance Manager for refusing to violate the law by lying and concealing the truth about the bank’s non-compliance and that American National Bank of Texas ultimately fired the Strategic Compliance Manager for refusing to conduct illegal activities on behalf of her employer.  

According to the Petition, from July to November 2022, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client met with American National Bank of Texas’ Human Resources on multiple occasions to discuss her concerns regarding certain regulatory issues, including American National Bank of Texas’s failure to utilize the proper verification procedures. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client alleges she discovered and reported numerous issues related to American National Bank of Texas’s non-compliance with federal laws and regulations, including its failure to comply with the requisite verification processes.

Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client alleges she drafted two memorandums from her assessment of American National Bank of Texas’s non-compliance, detailing their non-compliant practices, including its practices related to customer verification processes. According to the lawsuit, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client then emailed the memorandum to American National Bank of Texas’s Director of Risk. The Director of Risk allegedly instructed Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client to rewrite the memorandums and importantly, according to the lawsuit, the Director of Risk informed Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client that the American National Bank of Texas not having a CIP verification process in compliance with federal laws and practices was alright. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client alleges that she reported that American National Bank of Texas was in violation of the Customer Due Diligence (CDD) rule. The lawsuit alleges that Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client expressed that American National Bank of Texas violated the CDD rule by failing to consistently verify and/or certify the identity of authorized signers, persons of influence, beneficial owners, and guarantors on the accounts of entities.

The lawsuit alleges that the Director of Risks responded back, expressing how the implementation of proper CIP and CDD verification would cost the bank too much money and stated that that they did not want to have to present anything to the Executive Committee regarding these issues. Following this, the Director of Risk instructed Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client to draft a new memorandum and falsely represent in the memorandum that some of the bank’s employees looked at the verification issues, considered the issues, and were unable to execute the plan, according to Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s lawsuit. In all, the lawsuit alleges that the Director of Risk ordered Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client to modify her assessment related to American National Bank of Texas Anti-Money Laundering and Fair Lending concerns and other violations due to American National Bank of Texas fear of current scrutiny from the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The lawsuit states that, knowing that this request would include false or incomplete statements to a governmental agency, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client refused to violate the law by lying and concealing the truth about the bank’s non-compliance. Indeed, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client knew that this would be illegal. In response to Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client’s alleged refusal to perform illegal acts on behalf of American National Bank of Texas, American National Bank of Texas terminated Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client on November 18, 2022. The lawsuit provides that Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client was fired for refusing to conduct illegal activities on behalf of her employer. According to the client, American National Bank of Texas’s claimed basis for terminating Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s client was and is always a pretext for its illegal and wrongful misconduct and then firing in violation of Texas law.

Employers such as American National Bank of Texas should not – and may not – fire, or otherwise discriminate against employees such as Doyle Dennis Avery LLP’s for the reasons identified in Sabine Pilot Service, Inc. As part of our firm’s litigation practice, Doyle Dennis Avery LLP handles discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination claims on behalf of corporate executives, compliance managers, doctors, and many other professions. We proudly fight on behalf of clients who suffer due to wrongful termination and retaliation by their employer and its employees. 

If you believe you may be a victim of wrongful termination due to refusing to perform illegals acts on behalf of your company, please do not hesitate to contact our firm today. Our firm will evaluate the matter and let you know if we might be able to assist in your pursuit of justice. Doyle Dennis Avery LLP Trial Lawyers is proud to support workers and fight to make work environments a better place for all.