DoubleTree Portland Says It's Investigating After Kicking African-American Man Out Of Hotel
A video screen grab from Jermaine Massey's Instagram post recording the incident at the Double Tree Hotel in Portland, Ore. on Dec. 22, 2018.
The DoubleTree Portland announced in a series of tweets Friday it plans to hire a third-party to investigate a Dec. 22 incident that resulted in an African-American man being kicked out of his hotel room.
The hotel employees involved in the incident have been placed on leave, the hotel said.
"We are seeking the counsel of community leaders, and will engage a third-party to conduct a full investigation into the incident – reviewing our internal processes, protocols and trainings to ensure we are creating and maintaining a safe space for everyone," the DoubleTree Portland said on Twitter.
The incident took place around 11:23 p.m. on Saturday in the hotel's lobby, where Jermaine Massey, 34, was talking on his phone when hotel security guard Earl Meyers, 71, asked him to prove he was a guest of the hotel or leave, according to a report by the Portland Police Bureau.
Massey, from Kent, Washington, accused Meyers of being racist, the police report states.
"Did you ask any of those people walking by what room they were staying in? No," Massey said addressing Meyers in a series of recorded videos documenting the incident that were uploaded to social media.
"We have a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination of any kind, and do not tolerate behavior of that nature," the hotel said on Twitter. "We sincerely apologize to Mr. Massey for his treatment this past weekend, and deeply regret the experience he endured. It was unacceptable and contrary to our values, beliefs and how we seek to treat all people who visit our hotel."
The hotel didn't immediately respond to questions about who would be conducting the hotel's investigation or which community groups the hotel has reached out to.
This story will be updated. [Copyright 2018 Oregon Public Broadcasting]
