A former employee is suing the $1 billion Communication FederalCredit Union for allegedly firing her because of her race, genderand age, as well as for reporting unethical business practices, andcomplaining she was paid less than her male predecessor.

Communication FCU denied the 49 allegations detailed in a13-page civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in OklahomaCity last month by 51-year-old Renne A. Clark. After joining thecredit union as an assistant collector in 2005, she was appointedcollections department supervisor in 2008 and then fired in July2015.

The lawsuit also alleged unethical bank and credit unionpractices, such as scapegoating a female employee over 40 who wassubsequently fired for the large amount of debt charge-offs thatCommunication FCU was being cited for by NCUA auditors in July2015.

Communication FCU also denied this allegation in response toClark’s lawsuit.

“Defendant (Communication FCU) did not discriminate or retaliateagainst Plaintiff (Clark) on any illegal basis,” lawyersrepresenting Communication FCU wrote in a legal brief.

Larry Shropshire, president/CEO of the Oklahoma City-basedCommunication FCU, did not respond to CU Times’ requestsfor an interview about the lawsuit.

Clark’s workplace troubles began in 2009 when she questioned hersupervisor, Billy McDaniel, senior vice president of lending, aboutpay discrepancies. As a collection department supervisor, she foundout that she was not paid as much as her male predecessor.

McDaniel (pictured) allegedly told Clark that if she were a maleoutside candidate for the position she would have been paid morefor the job and he did not raise her pay equal to her malepredecessor, according to the lawsuit.

Clark’s lawsuit also alleged that McDaniel did not disciplinemale employees for creating a hostile work environment based on sexand race.

For example, in 2009, Clark reported to McDaniel that anemployee sent an email to other employees that referred to Clarkand other women in the department as “old ugly fat women” who were“bitter and take themselves way too seriously.” The email’s authoralso wrote that Clark and other women were “dumb,” “useless,” and“small-minded,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleged that another employee, who reported toClark, was telling members that President Barack Obama’s brotherlived in a hut in Africa and talked negatively about Iranians. Eventhough she had written up the employee, he continued to talk openlyand negatively about other races to members.

When Clark brought her concerns to McDaniel, he allegedly tookno action.

Clark also alleged that McDaniel contributed to a hostileworkplace by asking her whether she was dating and with whom. Hecontinued to ask about her dating life even though she told him shepreferred not to talk about her personal life.

Nevertheless, McDaniel’s inquiries persisted. He offered tointroduce her to his friend and asked her if she was dating anindividual who worked for a credit union vendor, according to thelawsuit.

Two weeks before Clark was fired in July 2015, she wasdiscussing the credit union’s debt charge-offs with McDaniel.

According to the lawsuit, McDaniel was preparing a response forNCUA auditors to explain the large amount of debt charge offs forwhich the examiners were citing the credit union for.

“During their discussion, Plaintiff (Clark) told McDaniel thatwhen this situation occurred Defendant (Communication FCU)had to respond to an NCUA inquiry as this, a female employee overforty (40) was blamed for the issue (i.e., used as a scapegoat) andsubsequently fired. McDaniel did not dispute that this occurred,”Clark alleged in the lawsuit.

According to the credit union’s NCUA Call Reports, Communication FCU posted $8.5 million in total charge offs atthe end of 2015. In 2014, its charge offs totaled $5.7 million andits charge offs in 2013 amounted to $3.6 million. In 2012, thecredit union’s total charge offs were $2.3 million.

What’s more, by the end of the first quarter of 2016,Communication FCU posted total charge off of $3.6 million and bythe end of the second quarter its total charge offs were $6.6million, according to Call Reports.

In 2014 and 2015, the credit union’s net charge offs were 1.02%and 1.09%, respectively, which is substantially higher than thepeer average of 0.42%, according to NCUA financial performancereports. By the end of the first and second quarters of this year,Communication FCU’s charge offs increased to 1.60% and 1.40%,respectively. Peer average at the end of March 2016 was 0.44%,according to the NCUA.

Clark also claimed that her termination was motivated by heropposition to and reporting to the NCUA about unethical banking andcredit union practices such as charging hidden fees withoutnotifying members, not properly verifying customers’ identitybefore issuing loans or opening accounts, allowing individuals insignificant debt to the credit union to have additional loans, andillegally repossessing vehicles after a member filed for bankruptcyor for non-payment when a member actually made a payments.

Communication FCU also had denied all of these allegations.

When she was fired on July 30, 2015, McDaniel told Clark she wasbeing let go because it was not working out, that managementdecided they did not need her any longer and that it was notpersonal.

However, after she was terminated, Clark received a letter fromMcDaniel that alleged she had been verbally counseled on numerousoccasions and that she failed to meet expected leadershipstandards.

Clark claimed McDaniel’s assertions were false and was notdisciplined by McDaniel. Clark also said she received satisfactoryor better performance reviews and pay increases annually that wereapproved by McDaniel.

After she was fired, Clark claimed she was replaced by asignificantly younger male with limited experience incollections.

McDaniel was not available for comment when reached at hisoffice via phone on Tuesday.