LAKE CHARLES, La. – The former senior vice president of a Louisiana bank claims she was forced to resign due to her age, despite claims by her former employer that she attempted to defend an office manager’s alleged fraud.
Plaintiff Angel M. Papadimitriou, who is white, also alleges defendant JD Bancshares Inc., or JD Bank, discriminated against her due to her race.
Papadimitriou filed her lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lake Charles Division. In it, she alleges JD Bank violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, or ADEA, and the Civil Rights Act.
Papadimitriou worked for JD Bank – Louisiana’s self-described “community bank” – at its Lake Charles location from April 2014 to April 2024. Before her termination, she served as the senior vice president/operations manager.
On April 16, 2024, Papadimitriou’s immediate supervisor Dorene Gothreaux, who served as executive vice president and chief retail officer, asked her to assist in an investigation by acting as a scribe.
In this case, a scribe is an individual who witnesses interviews and transcribes what was said by all those involved.
Papadimitriou accompanied Gothreaux to the subject job branch and witnessed the in-person interview of the complaining employee.
During the interview, the employee clarified that she was not, at any time, asked to perform
any illegal action but instead witnessed the branch manager engaging in activity that she
believed to constitute a breach of company policy or procedure.
Less than two weeks later, at the age of 62, Papadimitriou alleges she was forced to resign.
She claims in her 13-page complaint that JD Bank did not provide her with any reason for her termination at the time.
“Defendant did not provide a reason for Plaintiff’s termination at the time it terminated her; however, during the EEOC [Equal Employment Opportunity Commission] investigation, Defendant asserted that Plaintiff was terminated for ‘attempt[ing] to defend the fraud engaged in by [an] Office Manager’ during an investigation launched in April 2024 as a result of an employee survey submitted by an African-American employee,” the filing states.
“Plaintiff simply acted as a scribe during the subject investigation and had no decision-making authority whatsoever with respect to the Office Manager. At no time whatsoever did Plaintiff attempt to ‘defend’ the Office Manager – to the contrary, she simply transcribed what occurred during the interviews and included a reference at the express direction of her immediate supervisor.”
Papadimitriou contends race played a factor, too.
“Upon information and belief, beginning with Plaintiff and Gothreaux’s terminations in April 2024, Defendant has actively worked to reduce the percentage of Caucasian employees, including managerial employees, in favor of minority employees to appear as a more racially balanced workforce,” the complaint states.
Papadimitriou noted in her filing that just five days after her April 25, 2024 forced resignation – she alleges she resigned in lieu of imminent termination – JD Bank required all of its employees to review and acknowledge the following policy:
“Please be advised that employees of JD Bank are prohibited from acting as an agent for any JD Bank customer, to include signing on behalf of, executing documents on behalf of, or, otherwise, acting outside the bounds of a normal banking relationship. Such actions expose JD Bank and its employees to unnecessary and unreasonable risk including legal liability.”
According to her filing, Papadimitriou was replaced with Megan Dimas, who is about 20 years younger.
“But for Plaintiff’s age, she would not have been terminated and replaced by Dimas, a substantially younger individual,” the complaint states.
Papadimitriou seeks back pay, reimbursement for her lost position and training, front pay, compensatory damages, liquidated damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees, pre- and post-judgment interest, past and future medical expenses, mental anguish damages, and injunctive relief.
Sudduth & Associates LLC in Lake Charles is representing Papadimitriou in the lawsuit.
