A celebrity chef claims he was racially profiled and falsely accused of fraud while attempting to deposit a government-issued check.
Shawn Davis, known professionally as ‘Chef Big Shake’, filed the complaint on Wednesday in Nevada’s Clark County District Court against Wells Fargo and David Parra, a business adviser at the Wells Fargo branch in Henderson.
The lawsuit accuses the defendants of racial discrimination, defamation, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
According to the lawsuit, Davis, who lives in Florida, had traveled to Las Vegas with his family and visited the branch on July 11 to open a business account and deposit a U.S. Treasury check for approximately $20,400.
Davis, a restaurateur and entrepreneur who has appeared on the Rachael Ray Show and Shark Tank, said he had received the check the day before his flight.
However, after he arrived at the Anthem Village Drive location – 16 miles outside Las Vegas – Parra reportedly took Davis’s information and stepped away from his desk.
About 15 minutes later, Parra returned and accused the celebrity chef of attempting to deposit a fraudulent check, according to the complaint.
‘The accusation was made abruptly, without evidence, and in a manner that conveyed the assumption that Plaintiff could not rightfully have received such a check due to Plaintiff’s African-American race,’ the complaint states.
Davis immediately denied the accusation, but branch manager Georgia Bell backed Parra, claiming she had contacted the IRS through a ‘special line’ and confirmed the check was forged.
She then asked Davis to leave the branch, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges Wells Fargo’s ‘racist and discriminatory conduct’ caused Davis reputational harm, public humiliation, and a loss of dignity.
The Friday complaint also states Davis was left ‘distraught and overwhelmed’ and sat crying in his car for nearly an hour after the incident.
Davis later returned to Tampa, where another Wells Fargo branch reviewed the check, opened a business account, and deposited the funds without issue, he said.
‘They opened a business account for Plaintiff, deposited the U.S. Treasury check without issue, and confirmed that Defendant Wells Fargo has no direct line to the IRS,’ the lawsuit reads.
‘In reviewing the system, the Personal Banker and Branch Manager also noted that the Nevada Branch had not created an account, entered any internal notes, or performed any legitimate work during the forty-five minutes that Plaintiff spent there.’
The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $15,000, however Davis’ attorney Milan Chatterjee, said the case is about principle, not money.
‘Shawn doesn’t need the money, but his story personifies the discrimination and prejudice that African Americans often face at the hands of major corporations,’ Chatterjee, who is based in Las Vegas, said.
‘He recognizes how this can bring attention to a nationwide issue. I give him great credit for being willing to put himself out there and do this.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Wells Fargo for comment.