An African-American guest who was ousted from a DoubleTree hotel in Portland, Oregon for “loitering” has sued the Hilton Hotel for $10 million in damages and for racial discrimination against him.
A video of the incident went viral, attracting millions of views and many comments on social media.
Jermaine Massey, 35, recorded a video of two hotel employees asking him to leave the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland in December 2018. Massey was sitting in the hotel lobby talking on a mobile phone to his mother who lives in the East Coast and was sick at the time.
The hotel security “interrupted him, demanding to know if he was a guest,” his attorneys said in a statement.
“When Mr. Massey replied that he was, the guard persisted, demanding further proof, then calling him a ‘security threat’ and alerting the hotel manager, who called Portland Police.”
Massey’s lawsuit seeks $3 million for his frustration, humiliation and feelings of racial stigmatization. The suit also gives notice that Massey intends to sue for an additional $7 million in punitive damages.
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In a series of statements in the week following Massey’s ouster, the hotel “sincerely apologized,” announcing that it had placed the guard and the manager on leave and then later saying they were fired.
“Hilton has zero-tolerance for racism and is committed to providing a welcoming environment for all guests,” Hilton Hotel said in a statement.
