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A Black man in Detroit is suing a hotel, alleging that he was only offered a job interview after he changed his name on his resume.
On July 3, Dwight Jackson, 27, filed a lawsuit against the four-star Shinola Hotel. He claimed that his job application using the name "Dwight Jackson" was rejected - but a second application under the name "John Jebrowski" received an interview invitation.
Jackson had started applying for jobs on reception at the luxury hotel in January and kept sending applications through April.
According to Jon Marko, Jackson's attorney, his client had previous work experience in hospitality roles, including as a front desk agent at other Detroit luxury hotels. Marko provided Jackson's resume to CNN, which confirmed the job history.
Marko said Jackson was "eminently qualified" for the hotel reception position.
After months of applying with no bites, Jackson decided in April to change his resume to include a "more readily apparent Caucasian name," according to the lawsuit. The resume otherwise listed the same work experience, at the same locations, for the same amount of time.
According to the lawsuit, he received numerous interview requests in the same week that he sent out the resumes using the Jebrowski name. The lawsuit claims that the hotel violated Michigan’s Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act by denying Jackson an interview when he used his real name.
“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 told CNN.
Jackson attended an interview and reportedly confronted Shinola Hotel management about his interview status, accusing them of rejecting his initial resumes due to his race.
Marko said after the interview, Shinola informed Jackson that he was "no longer a viable candidate" for the hotel position.
The Independent has contacted Shinola Hotel for comment.
Anna Stancioff, senior corporate director of PR& Brand Communications for Sage Hospitality Group and operating partner for the Shinola Hotel, issued a statement on the lawsuit.
“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,” she told CNN.
Marko told the Detroit News that his law firm has "received numerous calls from concerned citizens" regarding the lawsuit.
Shinola Hotel has a 4.5 stars on Google but some recent entries mention the controversy surrounding Jackson.
"Gave an average review, anyway it’s sad that hotels as such don’t mind accepting currency from African Americans but allegedly rather not have a well qualified African American work for them," one reviewer, Nicole Scott, wrote.
Marko said that he hopes anyone else who believes they were discriminated against by the hotel will join Jackson's lawsuit.
