Portland Hotel Fires Employees That Called The Police On A Black Guest

An Oregon hotel said it fired two of its employees for “mistreatment” of a black guest who accused them of racism after being kicked out for using his phone in the lobby. DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Portland tweeted Saturday they have “terminated the employment of the two men involved.”

We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey. Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again.

— DoubleTree Portland (@doubletreepdx) December 29, 2018

Jermaine Massey accused the hotel of racially profiling him after a security guard called the police to remove him from the lobby. He had been making a phone call to his mother. After he was questioned by the guard—and showed his room key—a hotel manager called the police and accused Massey of loitering. He was eventually kicked out without a refund. He later shared the encounter in a now-viral series of Instagram posts. The hotel posted an apology on Twitter, saying the employees involved had been placed on leave and an investigation would be done. A day later, it said two workers were fired. “Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values,” they wrote. “We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again.”