Hotel Sued By Black Man For Interviewing Him Under ‘White Name’

A Black man filed an employment discrimination lawsuit against the Shinola Hotel, accusing the company of only offering him a job interview after he changed his name on his resume. 

Dwight Jackson filed the lawsuit against the hotel on July 3 in Wayne County Circuit Court. In the suit, Jackson argues that he was denied a job when he applied with his name but was then granted an interview after changing his name to “John Jebrowski.” Jackson, age 27, submitted applications for multiple positions at the described “luxury” hotel located in downtown Detroit, including a role in the reception department between January and April 2024. 

According to Jackson’s civil rights attorney, Jon Marko, the resume consists of consistent employment history, including past roles as a “Front Desk Agent” at Detroit’s Marriott Westin Book Cadillac and David Whitney Hotel. Marko said Jackson was “eminently qualified” for the position despite never being offered an interview. 

However, things changed when Jackson applied again in April 2024, but under the seemingly white alias of “John Jebrowski.” After switching some dates around on his employment history, interviews started to pour in that same week. The suit alleges the denial is a “violation of Michigan Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act.”

“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,” Marko said. 

Jackson essentially attended the job interview to confront the Shinola interviewer and reveal his real identity. He expressed concern that he wasn’t permitted an interview due to his name appearing to be traditionally African American. After he went through the process, Jackson was informed that he was no longer seen as “a viable candidate for the position.” “Jackson established that the Defendant’s consideration of candidates was based on the racial appearance of the applicant’s name,” the suit read. 

Marko claims cases such as this are common where minorities and individuals who have minority-sounding names are discriminated against in the workplace or hiring process. Studies by the National Bureau of Economic Research revealed name bias is a high-priority issue in the hiring process in the U.S. Out of 108 resumes sent to employers, documents with Black male and Black female names received the least callbacks.

According to Detroit News, as a result of the incident, Jackson suffered stress, humiliation, and both emotional and economic damages. “My client wants a jury of his peers, and we’re going to get that in Wayne County,” the attorney said. “There’s no need to file a federal case because Michigan has very strong anti-discrimination laws. I trust our county court and our state courts to be able to adjudicate this case and get justice for Mr. Jackson.”

Owner and operator of the Shinola Hotel released a statement saying, “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,” the statement said.

Jackson’s attorney also alleges Shinola’s hiring practices have been under scrutiny since news of his client’s lawsuit was filed. “I’m not going to get into attorney work product, but we have received numerous calls from concerned citizens,” he said. “We expect other people who have been discriminated against by the hotel to join this case. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and there certainly appears to be a blaze here.”