Jermaine Massey took a seat in a quiet section of the Doubletree hotel lobby he was staying at in Portland to take a call from his mother. But he says he was soon interrupted by a security guard – Earl – who asked if Massey was staying in the hotel. Massey showed him his key card but couldn't remember the room number off hand. This prompted Earl to call the police. Earl is white and Massey is black.
Apparently, Massey was kicked out of the hotel for "trespassing," even though he had paid for a hotel room and already had his belongings in the room. In fact, it wasn't until after the police were called that the manager of the hotel came over to Massey and asked what happened.
"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…" Massey says in one of his Instagram posts.
And later from his new room at the Sheraton by the airport: "It just goes to show you that racism is still alive and well man. This was a real incident where I could've gone to jail if I responded in a different way."
From USA Today:
Portland Police told USA TODAY that officers responded to DoubleTree Hotel Portland "regarding a person who hotel staff were (removing) from the property."
"The employees, who had authority to (remove) people from the hotel, requested the officer contact a person in the lobby they had reportedly directed to leave the property," the statement reads.
Massey said he was forced to gather his items from his hotel room and leave the property or be arrested by the officers for trespassing. He said he was not issued a refund.
"I guess because I was dressed kind of casual tonight … (in) sneakers and jeans and a hoodie that he profiled me and thought I couldn't afford to stay there and he questioned me thinking I wasn't a legitimate patron at the hotel," Massey said, adding that several white patrons in the lobby area were not asked if they were registered. "It wasn't right."
And via OregonLive:
"Safety and security of our guests and associates is our top priority at the Doubletree by Hilton Portland," Peralta said in a statement. "This unfortunate incident is likely the result of a misunderstanding between our hotel and guest. We are sorry that this matter ended the way it did. We are place of public accommodation and do not discriminate against any individuals or groups."
And no, the DoubleTree didn't even have the courtesy of giving Massey a refund.