VANCOUVER, Wash.—A former employee of $2.4-billion Columbia Credit Union who worked as a loan originator is suing the CU, alleging he was fired after he contacted a state regulator for clarification about lending rules, The Columbian reported.
John Steinke, who started working at the Vancouver-based credit union in 2018, has filed suit in Clark County Superior Court, The Columbian said.
The complaint states Steinke became concerned the credit union was inadvertently requiring loan originators to disregard certain income when members applied for loans.
To ensure the credit union was interpreting the rules about counting income correctly, Steinke said he contacted his supervisor for permission to reach out to the Washington State Division of Credit Unions for clarification about lending rules, The Columbian stated, citing the complaint.
Steinke said he sent the emails he’d received on the rules to his supervisor who forwarded them on to the credit union’s chief security officer and chief lending officer to schedule a time to talk about the credit union’s interpretation of the rules, according to the court document, The Columbian said.
The complaint alleges Steinke was suspended the next day and ultimately fired for reaching out to the state regulatory agency, claiming he was told doing so was an “inadvertent whistleblower complaint,” The Columbian reported.
Attorney Responds
“Credit union employees shouldn’t be fired for asking regulatory agencies simple questions or clarifying financial rules,” Colin McHugh, Steinke’s attorney, told The Columbian. “The credit union destroyed John’s job, reputation and career. For what? Because he was trying to do the right thing.”
A spokesman for the credit union told The Columbian the CU “embraces employment and lending practices that are fair and compliant."
McHugh said Steinke also filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor, although the credit union said the department investigated and dismissed it, The Columbian said.
Steinke is seeking economic damages including lost wages and attorneys’ fees and costs.
CUToday.info reached out to Columbia CU for comment, but the organization did not respond by press time.