Raymond James has fired an associate at its US business after a viral video emerged of him and his wife threatening to call the police on a neighbour for writing ‘Black Lives Matter’ in chalk outside his home.
The incident comes weeks after Franklin Templeton Investments fired a senior employee, Amy Cooper, for threatening to call the police on a black man who had asked her to put her dog on a leash.
In the latest incident, Robert Larkins and his wife, Lisa Alexander, confronted a Filipino American man and accused him of defacing private property in their San Francisco neighbourhood.
They refused to listen to James Juanillo when he told them he was the owner of the property and instead said they were going to call the police.
‘Zero tolerance’
In a Twitter post on 15 June, Raymond James, the US parent company of the UK wealth management business, announced it had fired Larkins.
“Raymond James has zero tolerance for racism and discrimination of any kind,” the company said. “An inclusive workplace is fundamental to our culture, one in which people are free to bring their whole selves to their careers, and we expect our associates to conduct themselves appropriately inside and outside the workplace.
“After an investigation into the circumstances of a video alleging racism by one of our associates, we have concluded that the actions of he and his partner were inconsistent with our values, and the associate is no longer employed by Raymond James.”
Larkins was a managing director at Raymond James with a focus on municipal finance.
The $774bn (£617bn, €686bn) wealth manager’s website describes a “diverse workforce and an inclusive work environment” as part of its values-based culture.
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