Us Department Of Justice Official Release - 03073-306 Txt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1995

CR (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888

CHICAGO AREA LENDER AGREES WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO SETTLE LENDING DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Northern Trust Company, a lender in the Chicago area, and three of its affiliate banks agreed today to settle lending discrimination claims by compensating over 60 African Americans and Hispanics who were allegedly unfairly denied home mortgage loans and by taking other steps, the Justice Department announced. In a complaint, filed together with the agreement in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the Justice Department asserted that in 1992 and 1993 the four banks engaged in a pattern of discrimination on the basis of race and national origin in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The Justice Department found no non-discriminatory explanation for significant differences in the treatment of minority and white applicants. Today's agreement follows a Justice Department investigation that began in December 1993. The investigation, with which the banks cooperated, revealed the banks' employees went to great efforts to qualify white applicants for home mortgage loans but did not make the same efforts for black and Hispanic applicants. "Getting a loan can sometimes be like walking through a maze," said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick. "It is unfair for lenders to take white applicants by the hand and walk them through the loan process, while leaving minority applicants on their own and then denying their applications." "Once we began our investigation, the bank itself began to look at its practices and to take corrective action," added Patrick. "We are pleased with Northern Trust's progress to date, and with today's agreement we hope that Northern Trust will serve as a model for others in the industry to emulate." The complaint alleged that in 1992 and 1993 the banks' employees gave white applicants a chance to explain adverse items on their credit reports, but failed to offer black and Hispanic applicants the same opportunity. It also claimed that bank employees often helped white applicants document all possible "offsetting" qualifications that could compensate for any deficiencies in their applications, but rarely offered minority applicants such assistance. According to the complaint, the banks also failed to seek documentation of bonus, overtime, and commission income, as well as secondary income such as rents, alimony, and child support payments from black and Hispanic applicants, as they did for whites. As a result of the banks' discriminatory practices, black and Hispanic applicants were rejected for loans at significantly higher rates than whites. Under the agreement the banks will: ​ pay $566,500 in damages to over 60 African American and Hispanic already-identified victims who were allegedly unfairly rejected for home mortgage loans; ​

place at least $133,500 in a fund to compensate any additional individuals who may be identified following a further review of the banks' records; ​

continue to implement a voluntarily-initiated program that ensures that all applicants have the chance to fully present their qualifications for a loan, and are treated in a non-discriminatory manner; ​

send reports on their mortgage lending activities to the Justice Department for the next three years. The banks' voluntary corrective action implemented in 1994 already has caused a dramatic increase in acceptance rate of African American and Hispanic applicants. "This agreement reflects the progress that can be made through cooperative efforts to eliminate lending discrimination," added Patrick. "The Justice Department will continue to work with the lending industry to achieve voluntary compliance." The court will retain jurisdiction over the case to ensure the banks are complying with its provisions. "This office is committed to enforcing the civil rights laws and ensuring that all citizens are treated fairly and equally when they seek loans from area lending institutions," said Scott R. Lassar, Acting U.S. Attorney in Chicago. "The Consent Decree demonstrates that we are willing to work with banks and other financial institutions to guarantee that they comply with the nation's anti-discrimination laws when a customer walks in the door."

The defendants in the suit include the main branch of Northern Trust, the Northern Trust Company, located in downtown Chicago, and three affiliate banks in the Chicago suburbs: Northern Trust Bank in Lake Forest, Northern Trust Bank in O'Hare, and Northern Trust Bank in DuPage. # # # 95-306