Santander succeeded in concealing the crime from the public and other service members by blocking a group claim by U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. Charles Beard, forcing him into an individual, private arbitration. Eventually, regulators caught Santander in similar illegal conduct against another service member. The rule would ban such conduct.
“Our nation’s veterans should not be deprived of the Constitutional rights and freedoms that they put their lives on the line to protect, including the right to have their claims heard in a trial by a jury when their rights are violated,” The Military Coalition says. “The catastrophic consequences these (forced arbitration) clauses pose for our all voluntary military fighting force’s morale and our national security are vital reasons for this rule to take effect immediately.”