A lawsuit has been filed by a Black Detroiter against Shinola Hotel in Detroit after allegations of racial discrimination.
Detroiter Dwight Jackson says he was discriminated against when applying for a position at the Shinola Hotel.
Dwight Jackson, 27, applied to the Shinola Hotel numerous times and has extensive work experience in hotel hospitality. However, the Shinola Hotel would not interview Dwight Jackson, according to the lawsuit.
After no communication from the Shinola Hotel, Mr. Jackson applied again with the exact same resume but under an alias, “John Jebrowski.” Nothing in the resume changed other than adopting a more Caucasian-sounding name, according to the lawsuit.
The same week Jackson applied as “John Jebrowski,” the Shinola Hotel quickly contacted him numerous times, the lawsuit reads.
Shortly after Jackson underwent the interview process, he was informed that he was no longer a viable candidate for the position.
According to the lawsuit, his applications were disregarded by the Shinola Hotel due to discrimination based on his race.
The company president released the following statement:
“The recent lawsuit filed against Sage Hospitality, related to its hiring practices at the Shinola Hotel, is baseless. Unfortunately, it is clear that the plaintiff’s attorney is spreading these false allegations through the media in an attempt to intimidate the company and cause reputational and financial harm. Here are the facts: since Sage Hospitality took over operations of the Shinola Hotel in November 2023, more than 78% of the new hires self-identify as people of color and 66% of those new hires self-identify as Black or African American. 71% of the employees who have been promoted since Sage Hospitality took over operations identify as people of color and 57% of those promoted identify as Black or African American.
Today, almost 75% of our team members are people of color. 60% of those team members are Black. Our diverse workforce is represented on every level of our organization ranging from entry level employees to directors who serve on our executive leadership team. Our preliminary review of the facts reveal significant inconsistencies with the plaintiff’s allegations in this lawsuit. Of the four roles for which the plaintiff applied, three of them were filled by Black applicants. Both of the positions the plaintiff applied for using the false name “John Jebrowski” were filled by Black people. It is important to note that all of these positions were filled prior to this lawsuit. While we can not disclose further details as it relates to this specific matter, we want to assure you, our team members and our community, that discrimination of any kind will never be tolerated. Sage Hospitality has a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion and is recognized as a national leader in hospitality. We believe that everyone benefits from a diverse and inclusive environment and will continue to foster an inclusive workplace.”
