A Black man has filed a discrimination lawsuit against a Detroit hotel after he was allegedly granted a job interview following a simple resume change.
Dwight Jackson applied for a hospitality job at the Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit earlier this year but initially didn’t receive a callback. Jackson decided to switch up his resume by simply changing his name to a “white-sounding” one to see if he would get different results.
“Didn’t change anything substantive; he only changed his name to a white-sounding name of John Jebrowski, and suddenly, he got multiple interviews in a matter of days,” attorney John Marko told CBS News Detroit.
After receiving the interview, Jackson allegedly revealed his true identity.
“Mr. Jackson actually confronted them and said, ‘I’m Dwight Jackson, I’m the guy that’s been applying to a job,’ and they said, ‘We’re done. We don’t want to hire you,'” Marko said.
In response to the allegation, Shinola Hotel issued a statement.
“We take this allegation very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” the hotel said in a statement. “We’re 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.”
Since filing the lawsuit, Marko said he’s received other calls from people accusing the hotel of discrimination.
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