A 27-year-old Black man has filed lawsuit against a hotel, alleging he was only offered job interview after changing his name on application.
Recently, Dwight Jackson, a 27-year-old Black man, has filed a lawsuit against the Shinola Hotel in Detroit, Michigan.
Jackson claims he was only offered a job interview at the hotel after changing his “African-sounding” name to a more “Caucasian-sounding” alias.
The racial appearance of the applicant’s name.
According to the lawsuit, Jackson had applied for multiple positions at the Shinola Hotel between January and April 2024.
He even applied for a role in the hotel’s front-of-house reception.
However, he was consistently rejected for these roles.
It wasn’t until he reapplied using the name “John Jebrowski” that he was suddenly offered multiple interviews within a week.
Jackson’s lawyer, Jon Marko, stated that his client “had applied for a job that he was eminently qualified for.”
Jackson had previous experience working as a Front Desk Agent at other hotels in Detroit, including the Marriott Westin Book Cadillac and the David Whitney Hotel.
The lawsuit alleges that Jackson “established that the Defendant’s consideration of candidates was based on the racial appearance of the applicant’s name.”
In other words, Jackson believes the Shinola Hotel discriminated against him due to the perceived racial identity suggested by his given name.
The man was rejected after revealing his true identity
Marko explained the deeper implications of this case, stating:
“To be denied a job in 2024 in your hometown, for the color of your skin, goes beyond dollars and cents. It goes into the psyche of a person.”
During the interview process, Jackson disclosed his true identity and the reason for the name change.
Shortly afterward, he was informed that he was no longer considered for the position.
The hotel’s responses
In response to the lawsuit, Sage Hospitality Group, the company that manages the Shinola Hotel, issued a statement.
They stated: “We take this allegation very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and are dedicated to building a diverse workforce that reflects the community.”
Marko said they could show Jackson’s two job applications side by side. This will clearly show the different responses he got when he used a different name.
The lawyer added that his client’s goal is to “shed light on this problem that’s not just isolated at the Shinola Hotel, not just isolated in Detroit or Michigan, but across the country.
He wants to make sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
Social media reaction
On social media, many online users shared their opinions on the matter.
I understand cause with my hubby he is going through discrimination with his name cause it is a Muslim name. Discrimination is a problem in the hiring process, One user said.
Age, gender, and race should NEVER be on applications. Initials instead of do band may also help. Each person’s qualifications and recent employment should be the only thing inquired about, the second user commented.
Perhaps it was just timing or something. Discrimination will be hard to prove with such scant evidence, the third user said.
Yup, I have a foreign name and my applications don’t even get viewed, another wrote.
Won’t be able to prove anything. It could be that it wasn’t what they were looking for at the time and most resumes are Ai reviewed now, someone said.