In Brief: Group Says U.S. Found Sumitomo Discriminated

A community activist group said Monday that the federal government has found the former Sumitomo Bank of California in violation of affirmative action laws.

According to the Greenlining Institute, the Labor Department found violations in promotions, hiring, and training at Sumitomo, which was acquired Oct. 1 by Zions Bancorp of Salt Lake City.

No details of the findings were available, Greenlining said. The group said it plans to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the information.

The government investigation was prompted by Greenlining's allegations. The resulting Labor Department report, issued Oct. 8, found a "discriminatory pattern" of paying blacks and hispanics less than nonminorities.

In the report, the Labor Department invited the bank to resolve the matter through "informal" means. A Labor Department spokesman was unavailable for comment.

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