BofA is accused of racial bias

Five current and former employees of Bank of America Corp. who are black have sued the second-largest U.S. bank, accusing it of racial discrimination by steering lucrative clients to their white counterparts.

The complaint, filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court in Boston, contends that the bank discriminates against African Americans in pay, promotions, training and support services. It said the Charlotte, N.C.- based bank regularly teamed African American workers and assigned them to largely minority neighborhoods and low-net-worth clients.

Bank of America said it had a strong record of hiring and training workers. The plaintiffs work or have worked for the bank in the Atlanta, St. Louis and south Florida areas, the suit said.