Everybody wants to win the lottery or a large sum of money when playing the slots in a casino. For one Black woman in Michigan, it has been a complete nightmare. Lizzie Pugh, 71, filed a federal lawsuit, according to NBC News, alleging that she was subjected to racial discrimination when she attempted to cash her casino win check at a Fifth Third Bank store.
Lizzie Pugh had played a slot machine at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant while there with her church group and won the check. Pugh attempted to open a savings account while depositing the cheque at one of the bank’s Livonia offices, according to the lawsuit, and three white female staffers informed her that the check was bogus. Even a worker attempted to keep the check.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the check had Pugh’s name, the logo and address of Soaring Eagle, as well as her home information from her driver’s license. The check was valid, according to Pugh’s lawsuit, which she filed on August 29 in U.S. District Court. She received it back after refusing to stand down that day, then drove to a Chase bank nearby and deposited it there. The next day, the fog disappeared.
Lizzie Pugh reportedly experienced bullying as a result of being the sole Black child at her school while growing up in Jim Crow-era Alabama. Without a doubt, this experience was traumatic and reopened previous traumas.
“To think that maybe they would have police coming and running at me — it was humiliating and stressful,” Pugh said. “For someone to just accuse you of stealing? I’m 71 years old. Why would I steal a check and try to cash it? I just didn’t think anybody would do that.”
A Fifth Third bank spokesperson also provided a statement.
“At Fifth Third, we are committed to fair and responsible banking and prohibit discrimination of any kind. Our employees are trained to help every person with their banking needs — customer or non-customer — while minimizing potential fraud risk.”