Hotel group sued by US for racial discrimination
Source: Associated Press
Hotel group sued by US for racial discrimination
The Associated Press
October 5, 2014 Updated 2 hours ago
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A hotel chain broke the law by subjecting minority employees in New Mexico, Texas and South Carolina to a hostile work environment and firing those who complained, a federal agency said.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Friday that it had filed suit against four Whitten Inn hotels and is seeking back pay, lost benefits and damages for workers. According to federal officials, employees endured racial slurs and derogatory comments. The agency said several workers were let go as retaliation for complaining.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in New Mexico.
"Discriminatory policies and conduct have no place in a state as culturally rich as New Mexico or in any employment setting," said EEOC attorney Christina Vigil, who is litigating the lawsuit.
Businessman Larry Whitten created a firestorm in 2009 when workers at his Taos hotel in northern New Mexico say they were forbidden to speak Spanish and told to change their Spanish first names.
Read more: http://www.thestate.com/2014/10/05/3726020_hotel-group-sued-by-us-for-racial.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy
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