Former Manager Sues Wells Fargo

Originally published by Thomas J. Crane.

It was big news just a few months ago that Wells Fargo bank pressured its employees to engage in fraudulent sales tactics. Some employees were even issuing credit cards and setting up new bank accounts for its customers – without the customers’ permission. It was fraud. But, was it illegal? That distinction matters in a state like Texas. In Texas, there is no law protecting employees from employers engaging in fraud. But, there is a law against requiring an employee to engage in illegal activity. Alex Leal has filed suit against Wells Fargo. His lawsuit appears to lie right at the intersection of what is illegal and what is fraudulent but perhaps lawful. He was a branch manager at a branch on the West side of San Antonio. In his lawsuit, he says he was fired because he refused to go along with the sales tactics.

He also alleges defamation. I just wrote a post about defamation here and how hard it is to show defamation in the work place. To win, Mr. Leal must not just show management lied about him, he must show they knew it was a lie and they sought to cause him harm.

Mr. Leal is also suing for age discrimination, saying management preferred younger employees because they were more likely to go along with these fraudulent sales tactics. He says he was replaced by a 29 year old manager. See San Antonio Express News report.

Curated by Texas Bar Today. Follow us on Twitter @texasbartoday.

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