Jermaine Massey is accusing the staff at a hotel in Portland, Oregon of racially profiling him. Hotel staff called the police and accused him of loitering as he stood in the lobby on the phone with his mother.
Massey posted a video of the incident on Instagram.
He was in Portland to see rapper Travis Scott perform. After the concert, he got a phone call from his mother and he was concerned that, due to the late hour, it may be an emergency.
The video captures the aftermath of the altercation in which a white security guard, who identifies himself as Earl, tells Massey that he’s no longer welcome in the hotel and that the police have been called.
Massey says to a hotel manager:
“I needed some privacy, I had a family emergency going on and this gentleman decided to come over here and harass me and ask me where I was staying.”
When the security guard accuses him of loitering, he states:
“How am I loitering in an area that’s public?”
To which the security guard responds:
“You’re sitting here.”
Massey says:
“So this area is off limits after a certain time?”
The security guard confirms:
“Only if you’re a guest.”
And Massey hits back:
“I am a guest.”
The security guard responds:
“You didn’t tell me that. I asked what room you’re in and you refused.”
Along with the footage of the incident, Massey posted this caption:
“Tonight I was racially profiled and discriminated against for taking a phone call in the lobby of my hotel room at the @doubletreepdx @doubletree. The security guard ‘Earl’ decided that he would call the police on me, the exact reason is still unclear to me.”
“He said that I was a safety threat to the other guests and that I was trespassing and said that I was a disturbance because I took a personal phone call from my mom in a more remote area of the lobby.”
He went on…
“The manager who actually called the cops, ‘Luis’ actually asked me AFTER he called the cops, what happened?”
“They already had in their minds that they didn’t want me there so I waited for the cops to show up and when they did, I explained my side of the story and they didn’t want to hear it. They asked me if I had personal items in my room (which of course I did) and asked me to go retrieve them. They told me that since the hotel requested me to leave, that if I didn’t I would be considered a trespasser and would be thrown in jail. I complied and cooperated and was not issued a refund for my room. I packed my stuff and went to another hotel.”
He closed by putting DoubleTree on blast:
“I cannot believe the level of professionalism that this hotel property had with me tonight. It is never ok to discriminate against guests for the color of their skin and to prejudge them based on your own bias against that race. Earl is a disgrace, calls himself a man but calls the Portland Police Dept on a man who was minding his own business in the lobby of his hotel. I had my hotel key in my hand the entire conversation, he knew I was a guest. He wanted to prove a point and did it in the worst way. Not really shocked that this happened but just extremely disappointed. I will be seeking justice. Believe that.”
The hotel’s manager, Paul Peralta, called the situation unfortunate and released this statement:
“The safety, security and comfort of our guests and associates is our top priority at the DoubleTree by Hilton Portland. We are sorry that this matter ended the way it did and have reached out to the gentleman in order to resolve this matter. We are [a] place of public accommodation and place a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion and our hotel does not discriminate against any individual or group.”
People felt there needed to be consequences.
Both of those staff member should be fired immediately!
— S. Marlene Wimberly (@2BGMEDIA) December 26, 2018
@HiltonHotels this is a disgusting situation and all employees involved should be fired immediately! Also the #PortlandPoliceDepartment should be retrained against racial profiling!
— Kaye Morgan (@GarciaGirl03) December 27, 2018
@doubletree The apology (if you can even call it that) issued by your DT GM Paul Peralta is void of genuine remorse for the way your employees treated Mr. Massey. There was no misunderstanding; it’s quite clear that your employees profiled Mr. Massey. Refund his money now.
— Anthony Alfano (@AJA0529) December 27, 2018
@doubletree needs to refund you fully and send their staff to sensitivity training. Actually if the broke down security guard is their employee they need to fire him. Double tree doesn’t have good customer service.
— Nadia | Publicist (@NadiaWorsley) December 26, 2018
Many stated that they would no longer use the hotel chain in response.
@doubletree I will never step foot on one of their properties again. Cutting up my American Express and to hell with those points. I’m going with @HolidayInn and I’m quite sure that they have trained diverse employees.
— Remarkable1 (@unpleasant1) December 27, 2018
@doubletree You just lost me as a client! I will always remember this when I book a hotel.
— nnomzok (@nnomzok) December 27, 2018
@doubletree – ARE YOU KIDDING? I am shocked at the disrespect shown this man, and the incompetence of your employees. Generally, I like the Hilton, but As I’m Black, have a phone, and have been known to chat with my mom on it, I will stay someplace else.
— Ms Jonze’n IfUrNasty (@jonze7779311) December 27, 2018
Wow, I literally have a chrome window open on the Doubletree website where I was about to book my room for my Portland visit next week. Closing the window and going to choose another hotel. Do better Doubletree, and do better Portland.
— chablinos (@chablinos) December 26, 2018
@doubletree Since you refused to refund Jermaine Massey's money and threw him out of your hotel because of his race, we will be cancelling all our upcoming events with your chain. We had an ordination scheduled in February and a National Synod in August which our clergy…
— Bishop Godsey (@BishopGodsey) December 26, 2018
…were booked to stay in your chain for. Hundreds of guest now going to another chain. Do not want you kicking our Clergy of Color out during our National Synod.
— Bishop Godsey (@BishopGodsey) December 26, 2018
Talking on the phone with your mother, hanging out in a Starbucks, napping in your student lounge, swimming, and having a barbecue are all on the growing list of things that black people apparently can’t do without white people thinking they’re “suspicious.” Unfortunately, racism is alive and well.
