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Home » Hilton » DoubleTree Fires Two Employees Who Kicked Out Black Man
Hilton

DoubleTree Fires Two Employees Who Kicked Out Black Man

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 2, 2019November 14, 2023 35 Comments

a room with chairs and tables

DoubleTree has fired the two employees at the center of a controversy over race and profiling.

Jermaine Massey was a guest at the DoubleTree hotel in Portland, Oregon. On December 22nd, he returned late from a concert and took a call from his mother in the lobby. During the call, a security guard approached him and asked whether he was a hotel guest. Not satisfied with his answer, police were called. Even upon confirmation that Massey was a guest, the hotel still proceeded to eject Massey, forcing him to seek shelter in a nearby Sheraton.

After several days of cautiously-guarded statements, the hotel announced last Saturday that the security guard and manager on duty were fired:

We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey. Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again.

We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey. Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again.

— DoubleTree by Hilton Portland (@doubletreepdx) December 29, 2018

Earl Meyers, the security guard at the heart of this story, has not spoken publicly on this incident. I tend to think that his job termination included some kind of hush money in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement. Otherwise, why would he not share his side of the story, even with a motive to lie? We will see…

CONCLUSION

Whatever your views on why Massey was approached or the initial exchange that occurred, there is broad agreement that once it was established that Massey was a guest he should have been offered an apology and left alone. Instead, the manager on duty kicked him out. This was simply wrong, on so many levels. While the hotel could have used this incident as a teachable moment to both employees, actions have consequences and I don’t think anyone would call this firing an inappropriate action.

Was it right for the hotel to fire Luis and Earl?

image: Hilton

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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35 Comments

  1. William Y. Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 8:32 am

    As an economist, I can see absolutely no unintended consequences coming from this. Like, loitering ‘youth’ annoying guests; reverse profiling for customer-facing and security roles, a slew of lawsuits infringing on the hotel’s right to run a private business.

    I mean, Starbucks became a homeless shelter after an employee had the audacity to ask two black men to either purchase something or GTFO. They closed the entire dang chain to send employees to Chinese-style re-education camp for a day. No, I’m not kidding.

    I don’t know why Americans are so afraid to be proud of the civilization you built, but you should know this: if I’m a guest at your hotel and you allow a hoodie-wearing, loudly-cellphone-speaking, shoes-on-the-furniture-having thug to roam around the lobby, I won’t be coming back.

    • Gene Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 10:11 am

      @ James — Americans should be proud of the civilization they built off the backs of Native Americans and African slaves? You are a racist.

      • Gene Reply
        January 2, 2019 at 10:12 am

        Sorry, James. I meant @ William Y.

      • Ben Reply
        January 2, 2019 at 11:10 am

        @Gene

        Tell me what civilization has ever become great and powerful without doing things that hurt other people (e.g. war, slavery, rape, economic oppression, cultural oppression. Religious oppression?)

        The Romans, Babylonians, Greeks, Turks, Chinese, Mongolians, Zulus? If you know history and human nature, you’ll know this kind of utopia doesn’t exist.

        As a proud American (and a minority), I can’t understand why people bash western culture and America in particular.

        If people think America should reform in any meanful way, that’s a good and useful discussion (not just hawking white guilt, or reputations for slavery, or taking land away from American Indians centuries ago).

        If people really hate and despise America so much, then make space for the millions of people that want to immigrate to our country.

        • William Y. Reply
          January 2, 2019 at 1:10 pm

          The hilarious thing is … the very same people who go on and on about native Americans are the same people who want uncontrolled illegal immigration.

          Think about that.

        • Gene Reply
          January 2, 2019 at 3:11 pm

          @ Ben — People bash America because we have a moron President with the world-knowledge of a third grader.

    • Hire Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 10:15 am

      You sound ignorant, he was a paying guest, the lobby is a PUBLIC place, he was the ONLY one in the area at the time, it is obvious he will get paid for being targeted due to his race, but I don’t think no one will miss your presence, you should be worried about WHITE mass shooters, and that’s a FACT!

    • KWF Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 10:56 am

      So you complain about Starbucks for not sticking to their guns over kicking out non-paying homeless “black men”. Then Doubletree kicks out a gainfully employed, home occupying, paying “hoodie wearing thug” customer and you complain over Doubletree capitulating on that. I’m not sure what your point is. You want both paying and non-paying customers banished? Or is it only the offensive “black thugs” that deserve the (jack)boot? I think you are a walking and quacking racist.

    • Dan Taylor Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 11:40 am

      I love your racist undertones, could you please cite the doubletree policy that says guest are not allowed to wear hoodies, sit in the lobby, use cellphones, or have feet on furniture?! If the man was white, he wouldn’t not have been questioned. As a white man, I have sat for hours in a lobby to kill time before a flight, and no one has ever questioned if I was a guest. Stop calling African -American males “thugs”, unless your vying for a Fox News Job.

    • Hunter G. Reply
      February 1, 2019 at 12:31 pm

      Thug? lol. How so? Let me guess…

      Also, he had his foot on an ottoman (which can be used to prop your feet on)…smart guy.

  2. James Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 8:48 am

    @William
    I guess economists do not know how grammar works, double negatives and the such?
    I think Matthew should also ban ignorami who cannot communicate

    • Pete Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 9:03 am

      His overt racism was communicated loud and clear.

    • William Y. Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 9:22 am

      Hi James,

      English is my third language. Of six. Is there any other language you’d like to have this conversation in? I mean, chances are I speak it.

      Thanks.

      • William Reply
        January 2, 2019 at 10:29 am

        That’s great you speak six languages, were you the coolest guy in your class or something? lol

        In America no one gives a shit. I will tell you this though your obvious racism mimics every other coward racist who sits behind a keyboard and calls people names, look how strong you are calling someone a thug which by the way is a term meaning “a violent person, especially a criminal.” Mr. Massey paid for his stay, and did no more than yell like any other extraordinarily frustrated person might do, so WORK ON YOUR FUCKING ENGLISH dumbass haha.

        Mr six languages over here can suck a dick in all of them 🙂 you know what go ahead and look up suck a dick in a seventh language Rosetta Stone and keep it to yourself while your at it haha

        • Ben Reply
          January 2, 2019 at 11:13 am

          @William (not William Y.)

          Great argument. You call William Y. a racist, yet you act like an ignorant, bigoted American.

  3. Michael Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 9:43 am

    @William,

    I guess because english is your 2nd language it is an excuse to be a racist. Are you even from America? Have you ever experienced racism?

    • William Y. Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 1:13 pm

      I’m not racist, but if your definition of racism deems me a racist, so be it.

      I am a minority myself on a global scale. I’m European. We constitute about 12% of the world’s racial mix.

      • William Reply
        January 2, 2019 at 1:25 pm

        Saying your not a racist and that your a minority by using percentages tells me everything I need to know lol.

        You did nothing to explain or defend your reasons for using the word thug because your incapable like most dumb racists are, instead you had to explain how your somehow also a minority. The classic “I cant be racist against minorities because I am one…. by percentage” straw argument lol.

        Being incapable of backing your reasoning for calling someone something and then bringing up an entirely different argument about how your a minority so that somehow makes what you said valid shows how small minded you really are.

        If you wanna keep getting owned on record we can, but you look more stupid and prove my point with every post.

        • William Y. Reply
          January 2, 2019 at 2:50 pm

          You sound really upset.

    • William Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 1:14 pm

      So I’m a racist for pointing out that just because he speaks six languages that doesn’t make his argument valid. I’m speaking a truth, did I say it’s right or wrong that people only care about English in America, no. I just stated a fact, people don’t give a fuck if you speak five other languages to make your argument, it doesn’t make your logic more valid.

      btw genius how is it racist to speak about languages ? There’s people of varied ethnic backgrounds that speak multiple languages but we don’t attribute the language they speak to their skin color you fucking retard. I’m speaking English, tell me what race I am?

      I didn’t say I detest him for speaking six languages did I, I didn’t say he shouldn’t did I, I didn’t say hes not welcome to did I? I simply said no one cares, his racist point is invalid in any language. If you think people care why don’t you walk around America letting people know you speak multiple languages and tell me how many ask you to speak in the language other than English, almost fucking none.

      I was simply pointing out that speaking six languages doesn’t make someone’s view any less racist or any more valid because they can pompously explain their “point” in five other languages.

  4. Drew Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 10:02 am

    After reading this story over the holidays, I did a little experiment of my own.

    I’m a middle-aged, white male lawyer at a law firm in a major US metropolitan center, with short (mostly) gray hair. Over the holidays, we observe business-very-casual. So one day when I was wearing athletic shoes, sweat pants, and a zip up hoodie, I wandered into a hotel lobby near our firm with my cell phone, sat down, propped up my feet, and starting texting and taking personal calls. While I was doing so another similarly attired and demographically positioned guy came in with a large plastic bag overflowing with papers, sat down near me, and proceeded to do the same thing. (Who knows, maybe he was doing the same “research” I was…). And he talked VERY loudly.

    The hotel lobby had at least six hotel personnel at all times, including doormen, front desk staff, a bartender, and a roving manger-on-duty. No one paid either of us the least bit of notice. Apparently (and probably completely subconsciously), we were perceived as “belonging” and not potentially a “problem”.

    I’m well aware that one or two anecdotes do not constitute data, but this little experiment did give me a bit of insight into how much I’m allowed to take for granted in terms of how I will be perceived and treated, regardless of my attire and other material valuables.

    • William Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 10:37 am

      According to William Y. your a thug now too, unless there’s something hes not saying that would separate you from Mr Massey? hmmmmmm.

      • William Y. Reply
        January 2, 2019 at 1:14 pm

        Well, for one, Drew would probably let security know he was a guest at the property when asked, unlike that kid that got thrown out.

    • derek Reply
      January 4, 2019 at 12:16 pm

      The experiment is flawed. The hotel in question is not in a good neighborhood. Not too many years ago, there was a murder in the hotel. Also sex trafficking.

      There was a nearby concert at the time so lots of people went through the hotel.

      One problem is the hotel guest was confrontational, waiting to pick up a fight. He argued with them, showing only the video camera/smartphone his room key folder but not to the guard. He argued with them a long time before disclosing he was a guest. The police was then called before the guest disclosed he was a hotel guest. Before then, he wrongly insisted on a right to be there because he was just talking on the phone.

      The correct thing to do was probably for the hotel guard to wait for the police to come then explain that they are not needed. Then ask the guest what his intentions are, to peacefully occupy his room, to stay in the lobby, or something else.

      • derek Reply
        January 4, 2019 at 12:18 pm

        The murder was in 2015.

  5. HotelGuy Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 10:04 am

    This is exactly what i said should have been done after it was established he was a legitimate guest. No surprised at all.

  6. Donald Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    The manager deserved to be fired.
    The security guard I would cut some slack since he got a hostile, dismissive response to his direct question. Maybe that question was wrong to ask, but the hotel guest didn’t help to resolve the issue. He only made it worse.

  7. JoEllen Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    I think firing them was way over the top, however all parties were wrong in this case. Mr. Massey could have taken control the entire time by ending his call, showing the security guard and the hotel manager his room key and at the same time calmly stating “let’s go to the front desk, we can straighten this out in ten seconds”. Period. Mr. Massey was the antagonist (even though somewhat calm) by way of his persistent questioning/ talking/ no effort to clear up the matter – just one gigantic complaint about being picked on or questioned. As well, the guard and hotel manager were inflexible, ie., not giving him the benefit of the doubt and just checking his credentials as a hotel guest. Stop expecting the judge, jury and executioner to instantly appear every time something is going wrong in a consumer transaction. All I get from this incident, though, is that people of color are not to be approached, questioned, challenged under any circumstances lest they call out everything as racial prejudice…..so if others (white people) see something radically wrong they should just turn a blind eye, walk away and make believe something isn’t happening to them or others? Okay, let’s just passively lie down and be steamrolled into our politically correct straight jackets.
    P.S…..and @ William — why don’t you tone down your abhorrent, profane language (male genitalia, etc). Totally not necessary.

    • Paolo Reply
      January 2, 2019 at 6:03 pm

      Agree 100%

    • Shay Reply
      January 3, 2019 at 11:51 pm

      This was not over the top at all! You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. If you watch the video if the incident he showed the security guard his room key. So clearly he was a guest of the hotel. He was not afforded the same courtesy as other guests. Your assumption that black people are not be approached is stupid. That is a silly conclusion to draw from this. You are clearly a white woman who has no idea what you are speaking of. The 2 individuals who were terminated did not handle the situation appropriately and were let go. This may seem harsh to you but I will tell you this was the right thing to have done. Hilton had to grab the narrative show that all people are welcome. Let’s not forget he paid for his room, was then told to leave escorted by police off the property and not given a refund. The least that should have been done. This has nothing to do with political correctness. This has do with treating all people as equal. You clearly do not understand simple human kindness! I truly pity you. I hope that you can take the bitterness that you feel towards people of color and take time to reflect on it. It is only then when you walk the pervebile mile in another person’s shoes will you understand that what you have written is so wrong.

      • JoEllen Reply
        January 4, 2019 at 11:02 am

        ..and you don’t know what you are talking about. He wasn’t denied equality, as you say. He did not comply with a simple request….had nothing to do with his being black. Period. I did watch the video, I know he showed his key but he just kept talking, debating and antagonizing them with his unending rhetorical assumptions about being approached when all he had to do was remain calm and have all of them go to the front desk to settle the matter.
        Secondly, how dare you call me out as a bitter racist. Do you really live in a world where you have not seen reverse racism or people of color using the race card ? (Mr. Massey). I have, only I’m not afraid and trembling in fear to say it, such as people like you.
        WHY DON’T YOU REFLECT on reality — You are either a person of color who can’t let go of the race card with an indelible mindset of blaming everyone else of another race for their problems or another liberal white woman or man who needs to constantly reaffirm their white guilt and pat themselves on the back for doing so.
        Again, as a realist, I have news for you – every person, of every race on this earth has the right and ABILITY, if they so choose, to be a decent human being – be courteous, responsible, dignified….act, speak and dress appropriately and civilized, get educated, work for a living, etc. We’re not living in the 1800’s, we’re in the 21st century – it’s already been decades of Affirmative action, civil rights, social activism, social services, school integration, etc., what more do people want, a constant shoulder to cry on ?? Do YOUR part, no matter what race you are. DEAL WITH IT.

        • Shay Reply
          January 5, 2019 at 1:35 am

          What a pity. Clearly you did not read my post. No where did I mention that you were a racist. But the fact that you must bring it up shows that you have some underlying more than likely racist thoughts. Mr. Masey did comply with the security guards request and showed that he was a guest. Where in this exchange did he blame any one for any misfortune? This was a hotel guest taking a phone call. I have not blamed anyone for anything. This gentleman did not asked to be harrassed. You clearly are upset about your perceived white privilege. I see you assume that because he was a person of color he was not educated. You are no better than the 2 individual whom where fired. They assumed a person of color did not belong. This PERSON did not violate any laws when he took his phone call. So because he was I. Sweats he clearly did not belong. There you go judging! You truly feel that everyone must conform to what you feel is right….well I have news for you…it us not goi g to happen! There are people of color in this world and you and the other 2 individuals who were let go have to deal with ot or get bent! He was asking for affirmative action. To get a room. He had paid for it was taking a call and 2 white people assumed he did not belong. Nothing more. You can continue to feel that because he wore sweats he was not civilized but I have news for even the president of this country wears sweats, so if he is seen taking a phone call in a lobby he must be a criminal also right? Your logic is flawed. Crawl back into the hole from where you came from with your bigoted ideas. Everyone has a right to exist and to be treated with respect.

          • JoEllen
            January 7, 2019 at 2:09 am

            @Shay,
            You are so far off base and obviously did not (in your words) REFLECT on my comment. As well you are assuming all sorts of things in your reply. In fact, I can hardly follow it, you are jumping around in so many different directions.
            Who said or assumed anything about Mr. Massey being dressed in sweats was wrong, that he was not educated or did not belong there? Who said anything about him breaking laws because he was sitting in a hotel lobby engaging in a phone call or was not civilized? Certainly not me, yet these are all the things you are assuming about me. How do you know I’m not black myself, Asian, Iranian, Finnish, Irish, German, American Indian, an eskimo? Right, you don’t know.
            My logic is not flawed. I read this article and saw it all over the news about a man who could have quickly and easily established his residence at the hotel (other than waving around a key). Easily solvable, yet he did nothing to solve it. Again, my comments also reflect that the security guard and/or the hotel staff guy could have done the same. I don’t think they should lost their jobs because of that. But you’re not getting it because you have a presumptuous and closed mind. Ignorance should be painful.

  8. dotti Reply
    January 2, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    Gene you are a total–liberal leftsided idiot!!

  9. Kevin Fahy Reply
    January 3, 2019 at 11:19 pm

    Such civility in these comments. Also quite a few presumptions. From all I have read there was no mention of Mr. Massey wearing a hoodie nor having his feet on the furniture. If he did have his feet on the furniture possibly it was an ottoman. No one stated he was warned for being loud. With the exception of Earl maybe. Who is the only complainant.
    In regards to the Starbucks incident with the two alleged homeless black men. Neither was homeless both were in the real estate business and were waiting for a business partner who was Caucasian that was running late. The black men were unfamiliar with the area and property they were to view. Starbucks was an easy landmark for a meeting.

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