WATCH: Employees call cops on black hotel guest talking on his cellphone

Picture: mymainereason/Instagram

Picture: mymainereason/Instagram

Published Dec 30, 2018

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Portland, Orgon - An Oregon hotel said it fired two of its employees for mistreatment of a black guest who was talking on his phone in the lobby when he was asked to leave a week ago.

DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Portland tweeted Saturday they have "terminated the employment of the two men involved." They said the men's actions "were inconsistent with our standards & values." The hotel didn't identify the employees.

Jermaine Massey accused the hotel of racially profiling him after a security guard called police to remove him from the lobby December 22. He was staying at the hotel, and his attorneys say they want a public explanation and intend to pursue legal action, Oregon Public Broadcasting

The security guard told Massey that if he could not provide a room number, he would be asked to leave. The Washington state resident left with an officer, according to a police report.

General manager Paul Peralta said in a statement earlier this week that the hotel reached out to Massey to try to reach a resolution. Massey's lawyers said the hotel should publicly answer why security approached and questioned Massey and explain how, as the guard said, Massey was a threat to security.

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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. 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. 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. @doubletree @doubletreepdx @hiltonhonors #hilton #hiltonhotels #racism #racisminamerica #racismisreal @shaunking

A post shared by m a i n e(@mymainereason) on Dec 23, 2018 at 2:04am PST

It's the latest high-profile incident in which black people have been removed from businesses.

Last month, police in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland helped the owner of a frozen yogurt shop kick out a black man because employees said they felt uncomfortable.

Police in Philadelphia in April arrested two black men at a Starbucks coffee shop after a manager called police to say they refused to make a purchase or leave.

Police, other city officials and business owners in those incidents later apologized.

AP

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