Thursday, February 22, 2024. Recent filings in a federal lawsuit detail how Navy Federal systematically discriminates against African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and other racial minorities by denying mortgage applications that would have been approved for similarly situated white Americans.
The Rev. Al Sharpton attended Thursday’s press conference about the cases, and pointed out that this class action represents a civil rights issue. “To think of the fact that in this country, you build your wealth based on home ownership and that in the middle of a pandemic where we should have been coming together since we were all being held down together, to see that the Navy Federal Credit Union practiced a pattern of what is apparent discrimination, and some of those plaintiffs and victims are here today, is an outrage. It’s a double outrage to have done it when they did it.”
The full press conference is viewable online on the National Action Network.
The lawsuit explains in detail Navy Federal’s own data, which shows that even among equally qualified applicants, Black mortgage applicants were more than twice as likely to be denied as white applicants, and Latino applicants were roughly 85% more likely to be denied than white applicants.
Civil rights attorneys Hassan Zavareei, Andrea Gold, Wes Griffith, Peter Silva, Shana Khader, and Cort Carlson of Tycko & Zavareei LLP have joined forces with DiCello Levitt LLP and Ben Crump Law PLLC to stop these unlawful practices. Hassan Zavareei, Adam Levitt, and Ben Crump have been appointed interim co-lead counsel by the District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia.
“Navy Federal’s own data reveals one clear and unmistakable conclusion: Navy Federal—the nation’s largest credit union, with more than $165 billion in assets and 13,000,000 members—systemically and intentionally discriminates against minority borrowers across the United States,” said Wes Griffith, one of the attorneys representing plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Plaintiffs filed a Consolidated Complaint on February 20, 2024. The Consolidated Complaint details how Navy Federal engaged in unfair and discriminatory mortgage lending practices, systematically denying African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and other racial minorities equal access to homeownership — a critical path to building generational wealth.
“This case is not just about combating racial discrimination; it’s about ensuring equal opportunities for all members of the nation’s largest member-owned financial institution,” said Hassan Zavareei.
Navy Federal’s customer base primarily consists of active-duty military, military families, and veterans, meaning that when Navy Federal discriminates, it’s the current and former members of the armed forces—and their families—who are harmed.
The consolidated case is Laquita Oliver, et al. v. Navy Federal Credit Union, Case No.: 1:23-cv-01798-LMB-WEF in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division.
About Tycko & Zavareei LLP
Tycko & Zavareei LLP stands at the forefront of litigating significant cases that address unfair and illegal business practices, championing economic justice for consumers across the nation. With a focus on impactful litigation, Tycko & Zavareei LLP is dedicated to achieving substantial results through painstaking research, thorough legal analysis, and strategic advocacy. Our commitment extends to fighting against predatory lending, safeguarding consumer privacy, and promoting racial justice. For more information, please visit www.tzlegal.com.
Read More in the News
- FFXnow, “Vienna’s Navy Federal Credit Union faces lawsuit alleging racial discrimination”
- Forbes, “Democrats Urge Probe Into Navy Federal Credit Union Over Alleged ‘Racially Discriminatory Lending Practices’”
- Forbes Breaking News, “Ben Crump Holds Press Briefing On Filing Of Lawsuit Against Navy Federal Credit Union”
- Black Enterprise, “Navy Federal Credit Union Pressured Over Discriminatory Mortgage Lending”
- Veronica Charnell Media, “Navy Federal Credit Union: Discriminatory Lending Practices Lead to Class Action”
- amNY, “Navy Federal Credit Union sued over allegedly denying loans to Black, Hispanic vets over race, Rev. Al Sharpton and Ben Crump announce”
- WAVY, “Navy Federal Credit Union named in class-action lawsuit alleging racial discrimination” (Watch on YouTube)
- Credit Union Times, “Pressure Mounts Over Navy Federal’s Alleged Mortgage Loan Disparities”
- News4Jax, “Attorneys file lawsuit on behalf of minorities who sought home loans from Navy Federal Credit Union” (Watch on YouTube)
- BNN Breaking, “Prominent Attorneys to Sue Navy Federal Over Alleged Racial Discrimination in Home Loans”