A Nederland, Texas advisor who lost her broker-dealer affiliation because of social media accusations of racist hiring practices is denying the claims against her.
Eileen Cure, founder of Cure & Associates, an accounting firm and hybrid RIA with offices in Nederland and Montgomery, Texas, told Financial Advisor by email that she is asking for a criminal investigation into posts by TikTok contributor “auntkaren0” that purport to show a Skype conversation in which Cure asks to no longer interview Black job applicants at her firm.
“The entirety of this situation is based upon a TikTok video published by an unrelated individual without press credentials or affiliations using an unauthenticated photo of an alleged internal office chat without validation or context of any content,” wrote Cure. “This published photo and along with subsequent related false and defamatory materials and statements, which have incited false commentary and threats of violence and bodily harm toward me and my staff and acts which are being investigated as criminal in nature, are being publicized on a social media platform by a third party who is not related or in any way affiliated with me or my office.”
Screenshots of Skype comments attributed to Cure were circulated via social media, eventually finding their way to newsrooms and LPL itself.
“Also I wanted to tell you I specifically said no blacks, I’m not a prejudice person (sic), but our clients are 90% white and I need to cater to them,” said the screenshot comments.
LPL Financial announced this week that it would sever ties with Cure over the incident, but Cure maintains that her hiring practices are not biased.
“I have taken steps to confirm that race never has and will not be a factor in hiring decisions at my firm,” she wrote. “I am committed to continuing to ensure that my firm and other business interests will not tolerate incitement of violence, judgment before due process, or discrimination or harassment of individuals with regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, or on the basis of any other legally protected status or characteristic.”