Kunes Auto Group, the Wisconsin dealership chain tied to former Ole Miss student Alaina Kunes, is facing new scrutiny after civil rights attorney William Sulton told Baller Alert his office is investigating claims that Black and brown customers received worse financing terms than white customers. “It’s not something I can confirm today, but it’s something we’re investigating,” Sulton said.
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Sulton represents two women in separate cases against the company, and he told Baller Alert their experiences point to a problem that runs deeper than a few employees. “This is a consistent failure by management and leadership of this at a very large auto group in Wisconsin, and now we’re seeing it trickle down to younger family members,” he said.
The family name landed in national headlines after a doorbell camera video from Nov. 6 went viral. University of Mississippi freshman Jakiyra Metcalf posted the Ring footage, which shows three white women walking past the apartment she shares with two other Black freshmen. Two of the women appeared to make monkey noises and gestures at the camera. Kunes later apologized in a statement released by her attorney, calling her actions “insensitive, inappropriate, and deeply harmful.” The university confirmed on Nov. 10 that Kunes is no longer a student but did not say whether she withdrew or was removed. CBS reported that she withdrew voluntarily.
Alaina Kunes is the daughter of Scott Kunes, the former chief operating officer of Kunes Auto Group. The company, based in Wisconsin, lists 32 automotive dealerships and 13 RV dealerships across four states on its website. Two of its Wisconsin locations had already drawn public scrutiny before the Ole Miss video surfaced.
The first case belongs to Makayla Starks. In January 2025, Starks took the SUV she had bought from Kunes Buick GMC in Oak Creek back to the dealership for a free oil change. Sulton told Baller Alert that employees wrote a racial slur on her oil change sticker. Starks has said the slur was the N word, printed in the comment section of the sticker on her windshield. She has also said the dealership later tried to get her car back by claiming an employee left a tool inside, which she believes was an attempt to recover the sticker, and that a Kunes employee called to warn her there was no tool. Kunes publicly apologized at the time and said the employee responsible was fired. Starks sued the dealership in August 2026, alleging racial discrimination and emotional distress.
Starks and her supporters went to the dealership seeking an apology, Sulton said, and the dealership did not make it right. Asked whether firing the employees was enough, Sulton said, “No, and they didn’t fire them immediately. I know they want to try and dispute that now. That’s not true.” He argued that firing workers did nothing to address the underlying problem.
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The second case belongs to Carolyn Word, a longtime Kunes customer who had bought four vehicles from the group. Word contacted Sulton’s law firm after a Kunes salesman sent her text messages that included an image of an ape and a joke about selling a car to a bear.
Sulton said the company denied compensation in an email that described the employees involved as “wayward.” He said the cases point to a leadership problem, not a few rogue workers.
Starks’ lawsuit was originally filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court before it was moved to federal court. Sulton alleged the company made that move to get a less diverse jury pool than Milwaukee, which has the largest Black population in Wisconsin. “Kunes removed that case to federal court so that they could ensure a jury pool that was less diverse,” he said. The court record confirms the transfer but does not give a reason for it.
Sulton said his office continues to receive complaints from Kunes employees about how they are treated at work, and from other customers about vehicle purchases and financing. That includes the claims about Black and brown customers being given worse loan terms than white customers, which his office is still investigating.
Sulton is calling on Kunes Auto Group to adopt training against discrimination, issue an apology and pay compensation. He also urged the company’s corporate partners to rethink their relationships with the dealership group, noting that Kunes advertises at the arena where the Milwaukee Bucks play. “At any moment in time, you can come out and say, ‘Hey, this is wrong. We denounce it. We’re going to do better,'” he said.
Baller Alert reached out to Kunes Auto Group for comment but did not receive a response.
