A 27-year-old Black man who applied for multiple jobs at an upscale Detroit hotel but turned away has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the hotel after he changed the name on the resume to a more “white-sounding” and received an interview offer, CNN reports.
With years of experience in the local hospitality industry in positions of increasing responsibility, Dwight Jackson applied for various positions at the Shinola Hotel over a three month period at the start of 2024 and got shit for response despite matching or exceeding the qualifications listed. In April, Jackson applied for two job openings similar to the ones listed before, but he slightly altered the dates at previous employers and changed the name on the resume to “John Jebrowski.”
Within a week, Mr. Jebrowski was invited to the Shinola for multiple interviews. “Jackson established that the Defendant’s consideration of candidates was based on the racial appearance of the applicant’s name,” his lawyer said in the lawsuit, commenting to CNN, “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.”