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Hotel Earl calls cops on Oregon black after making phone call in lobby

Christopher Koulouris: About author bio at bottom of article.
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Jermaine Massey
Pictured Jermaine Massey and Hotel Earl.
Jermaine Massey
Pictured Jermaine Massey and Hotel Earl.

Jermaine Massey racially profiled by Hotel Earl: Black man racially profiled at Portland DoubleTree after making phone call from hotel lobby. 

A ‘black’ hotel guest staying an Oregon establishment has claimed been racially profiled after staff called police on him after making a phone call from the lobby.

Jermaine Massey– staying at a DoubleTree in Portland had just returned back to the hotel late Saturday when he received a call from his mom.

Concerned that his mom was having an emergency because of the late hour, the 34-year-old sat down in the lobby to field the call.

That’s when Massey was approached by a white security guard — since dubbed ‘Hotel Earl’ — who interrupted his phone call to ask if he was a guest at the hotel, and what room he was staying in, The Oregonian reported.

It’s when the flustered Massey couldn’t remember his room number, that the hotel security accused him of trespassing and being a safety threat to other other guests according to an Instagram post with videos of the run-in.

Workers then called the police, despite Massey producing his room key to prove that he was staying at the hotel.

A manager, identified by Massey as ‘Luis,’ came over to ask the guest what the problem was, but only after cops were already en route, Massey wrote.

‘They already had in their minds that they didn’t want me there so I waited for the cops to show up and when they did, I explained my side of the story and they didn’t want to hear it,’ wrote Jermaine Massey. ‘They asked me if I had personal items in my room (which of course I did) and asked me to go retrieve them.’

Under threat of being arrested for trespassing, Massey left for another hotel without so much as a refund, he wrote. Massey went on to note other guests in the hotel lobby not being stopped, while saying he was singled out because of his race.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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. He said that I was a safety threat to the other guests and that I was trespassing and said that I was a disturbance because I took a personal phone call from my mom in a more remote area of the lobby. The manager who actually called the cops, “Luis” actually asked me AFTER he called the cops, what happened? They already had in their minds that they didn’t want me there so I waited for the cops to show up and when they did, I explained my side of the story and they didn’t want to hear it. They asked me if I had personal items in my room (which of course I did) and asked me to go retrieve them. They told me that since the hotel requested me to leave, that if I didn’t I would be considered a trespasser and would be thrown in jail. I complied and cooperated and was not issued a refund for my room. I packed my stuff and went to another hotel. I cannot believe the level of professionalism that this hotel property had with me tonight. It is never ok to discriminate against guests for the color of their skin and to prejudge them based on your own bias against that race. Earl is a disgrace, calls himself a man but calls the Portland Police Dept on a man who was minding his own business in the lobby of his hotel. I had my hotel key in my hand the entire conversation, he knew I was a guest. He wanted to prove a point and did it in the worst way. Not really shocked that this happened but just extremely disappointed. I will be seeking justice. Believe that. @doubletree @doubletreepdx @hiltonhonors #hilton #hiltonhotels #racism #racisminamerica #racismisreal @shaunking

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Jermaine Massey: ‘I will be seeking justice.’

The incident has since led to DoubleTree back-peddling.

‘Safety and security of our guests and associates is our top priority at the Doubletree by Hilton Portland,’ Paul Peralta, manager of that location, said in a statement to The Oregonian. ‘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.’

DoubleTree’s response elicited the following response from Massey:

‘I cannot believe the level of professionalism that this hotel property had with me tonight. It is never ok to discriminate against guests for the color of their skin, Earl is a disgrace, calls himself a man but calls the Portland Police Dept on a man who was minding his own business in the lobby of his hotel,’

Adding, ‘Not really shocked that this happened but just extremely disappointed, I will be seeking justice.’

And then there were these responses on social media too- see what you think?

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