Bank of America VP Called Seahawks’ Score, American Banker Says

Lance Easley, the National Football League referee at the center of a touchdown call criticized by President Barack Obama and others, is a vice president of small business banking at Bank of America Corp. in California, according to American Banker.

Easley’s LinkedIn page says he has worked at the bank since June 2011, and was a business banking specialist at Wells Fargo & Co. (WFC) for almost three years prior to that. American Banker said it confirmed Easley’s current position through an unidentified person at Bank of America.

Bank of America spokesman T.J. Crawford said in a telephone interview that he couldn’t comment on Easley’s employment because of company policy.

Part of a group of replacement officials that the NFL is using during the lockout of its normal crews, Easley was in the end zone on Sept. 24 when Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate was awarded a game-winning touchdown catch that appeared to be first intercepted by Green Bay Packers defensive back M.D. Jennings. Easley was the first to signal touchdown, which was upheld on video review.

The call sparked immediate controversy, with fans and players taking to Twitter to complain about the decision. Obama, who labeled it a “terrible” decision, called for a settlement in the labor dispute between the league and Referees Association.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eben Novy-Williams in New York at enovywilliam@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at msillup@bloomberg.net