Raleigh woman says bank firing was discriminatory

CHARLESTON - A Raleigh County woman has filed a suit against a bank, claiming she was fired because of her race and sex.

Stephanie Ford, an African-American female, filed a suit Sept. 18 in Kanawha Circuit Court against MCNB Banks Inc.

MCNB Banks has its principal place of business in McDowell County and Randall L. Hatfield is the Senior Executive Vice President.

According to the suit, Ford was hired as a teller. She worked at MCNB from November 2006 to July 9, 2008, when she was fired. Ford claims she was fired because of her race and sex.

Ford claims MCNB and Hatfield perpetrated and tolerated an environment of racial and sexual discrimination toward her and other females and African-American employees.

Ford claims the conduct was so severe she suffered emotional distress, mental anguish, humiliation, embarrassment and other general damages, the suit says.

She seeks to be compensated for back pay, front pay, loss of benefits, emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, humiliation, damages to her reputation, annoyance and inconvenience, other general damages, and attorney's fees.

Ford seeks general, special and punitive damages.

Attorney John Einreinhofer is representing Ford. The case has been assigned to Judge Jennifer Bailey Walker.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number 08-C-1799