Filed Date: July 8, 1994
Closed Date: May 12, 1998
Clearinghouse coding complete
Plaintiffs filed their class action lawsuit on July 6, 1994, alleging that Citibank had engaged in redlining practices in the Chicago metropolitan area in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), 15 U.S.C. 1691; the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3601-3619; the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; and 42 U.S.C. 1981, 1982. Plaintiffs alleged that the defendant-bank rejected loan applications of minority applicants while approving loan applications filed by white applicants with similar financial characteristics and credit histories. Plaintiffs sought injunctive relief, actual damages, and punitive damages.
This case has received a good deal of press and blogger attention because one of the plaintiffs' lawyers was Barack Obama, then just a couple of years out of law school.
U.S. District Court Judge Ruben Castillo certified the plaintiffs' suit as a class action on June 30, 1995. Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank Fed. Sav. Bank, 162 F.R.D. 322 (N.D. Ill. 1995). Also on June 30, Judge Castillo granted Plaintiffs' motion to compel discovery of a sample of Defendant-bank's loan application files. Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank Fed. Sav. Bank, 162 F.R.D. 338 (N.D. Ill. 1995).
The parties settled the case on May 12, 1998, with an agreement that provided for waiver of some fees for class members, should they reapply for a loan, and also for various procedures to ensure that Citibank followed its own loan policies in a race neutral way.
Summary Authors
Andrew Nash (6/2/2008)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/10608349/parties/buycks-roberson-v-citibank-fed-svg-bk/
Castillo, Rubén (Illinois)
Alexis, Hilary I. (Illinois)
Childers, Michael Allen (Illinois)
Clayton, Fay (Illinois)
Bua, Nicholas John (Illinois)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/10608349/buycks-roberson-v-citibank-fed-svg-bk/
Last updated Oct. 13, 2025, 1:14 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Special Collection(s):
Multi-LexSum (in sample)
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 8, 1994
Closing Date: May 12, 1998
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
All persons who are: African-American; and who applied for a first mortgage or refinance loan with Citibank for property located in Cook, DuPage, Lake or McHenry County, IL; and whose loan request was turned down between 7/6/92 and 12/31/95
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Citibank Federal Savings Bank, Private Entity/Person
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA), 15 U.S.C. § 1691
Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.
Other Dockets:
Northern District of Illinois 1:94-cv-04094
Northern District of Illinois 94-04024
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Relief Granted:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Issues
Discrimination Area:
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):