im not asking the brits to be denied service ebcuase they are white, im saying to kick them out of the hotel for being racist. most establishments reserve the righ to refuse service, I cant think of a better time than this for them to exercise that right. If a black guy came into my hotel and said he didnt want to deal with any hispanics, i would tell him to get going.
Don't be disingenuous. The obvious explanation is that there is a considerable difference between having to figure out the accent of a non-native English speaker, and following a different dialect of the same tongue, spoken as one's birth speech. I cannot say a British or Australian accent is pleasant to my ears, but I would not put either one in the same class as that of a native Spanish-speaker when it comes to difficulty of understanding (on both parts - remember, they are guests in a hotel, and they will not be conversing with the waitstaff for social reasons, but to request the services for which they are paying a great deal of money. You cannot always trust that a non-native speaker understands what you are asking for better than you can understand his replies).
As for the ludicrous suit, if the waiter in question HAD been allowed to serve the people, in addition to the blowback it would have had for the hotel as I suggested above, he would have been suing them for the emotional distress caused him by having to deal with racist guests who became upset and agitated at his presence or service, who refused to eat the food he brought them, did not tip him, complained about his skin color to management or even called him racial epithets. The fact that his employer had received a request from the guests clearly indicating strong and unabashed racist feelings on their part would have been proof that they exposed him to the ire of people they knew would not respond well to his appearance or accent.
A swanky hotel is being sued for believing the customer is always right, even when the customer makes racist demands.
A British family checking into a Florida hotel demanded they be served by whites only, a federal lawsuit filed this week claims -- and the hotel allegedly agreed to meet their bigoted demands, the News-Press reports.
When the Morgan family checked into The Ritz-Carlton in Naples on Feb. 28, the lawsuit charges a note was put in the hotel's computer that "this couple is very, very prejudice," the newspaper reports, and refused to be served by people of color or with a foreign accent.
Two weeks later, Wadner Tranchant, a Haitian-American waiter and 15-year employee of the hotel, claimed his supervisors forbade him from serving the Morgans. He's now suing the Ritz-Carlton chain and an executive at the Naples establishment for more than $75,000.
The hotel's vice president and director, Edward Staros, the executive named in the lawsuit, is regarded as an ethics authority within the company, the News-Press reports.
"That’s one of his main jobs," Sherie Brezina, director of Florida Gulf Coast University's Hospitality Management program, told the newspaper. She added that he often travels to other hotels to help employees address such matters.
"The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company does not tolerate discrimination from our employees or our guests," a spokeswoman for Ritz-Carlton told the News-Press. She declined to discuss the lawsuit with the newspaper, saying to do so would violate the company's policy on discussing pending litigation
LMAO. They demanded they not be served by people of color, or anyone with an accent? They are friggin British! they are the ones with the accent in this country! and technically wouldnt any white person who is American have an American accent?
A British family checking into a Florida hotel demanded they be served by whites only, a federal lawsuit filed this week claims -- and the hotel allegedly agreed to meet their bigoted demands, the News-Press reports.
When the Morgan family checked into The Ritz-Carlton in Naples on Feb. 28, the lawsuit charges a note was put in the hotel's computer that "this couple is very, very prejudice," the newspaper reports, and refused to be served by people of color or with a foreign accent.
Two weeks later, Wadner Tranchant, a Haitian-American waiter and 15-year employee of the hotel, claimed his supervisors forbade him from serving the Morgans. He's now suing the Ritz-Carlton chain and an executive at the Naples establishment for more than $75,000.
The hotel's vice president and director, Edward Staros, the executive named in the lawsuit, is regarded as an ethics authority within the company, the News-Press reports.
"That’s one of his main jobs," Sherie Brezina, director of Florida Gulf Coast University's Hospitality Management program, told the newspaper. She added that he often travels to other hotels to help employees address such matters.
"The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company does not tolerate discrimination from our employees or our guests," a spokeswoman for Ritz-Carlton told the News-Press. She declined to discuss the lawsuit with the newspaper, saying to do so would violate the company's policy on discussing pending litigation
LMAO. They demanded they not be served by people of color, or anyone with an accent? They are friggin British! they are the ones with the accent in this country! and technically wouldnt any white person who is American have an American accent?
Don't be disingenuous. The obvious explanation is that there is a considerable difference between having to figure out the accent of a non-native English speaker, and following a different dialect of the same tongue, spoken as one's birth speech. I cannot say a British or Australian accent is pleasant to my ears, but I would not put either one in the same class as that of a native Spanish-speaker when it comes to difficulty of understanding (on both parts - remember, they are guests in a hotel, and they will not be conversing with the waitstaff for social reasons, but to request the services for which they are paying a great deal of money. You cannot always trust that a non-native speaker understands what you are asking for better than you can understand his replies).
the ritz should have said that they cant accommodate them because everyone in the hotel has an American accent or something along those lines. although the Haitian waiter is being ridiculous claiming he had to get medical help to deal with his treatment, he still has a point. Shame on the Ritz Carlton for not telling that family they couldnt be accommodated, and they should find another hotel.
Because they exist to make money, not to coddle Haitian waiters. People with a great deal of money come to stay at the Ritz-Carlton hotels because of their reputation for accomodating their guests. If the family tells their rich friends about the crappy reception they got, those friends are more likely to choose a competitor for their business. And ALL the waiters, Haitian or otherwise will be out of a job. They were not being asked to fire any employees nor were their employees being asked to perform outrageous or personally degrading services. They were simply asking not to be bothered with waitstaff who would make their stay less comfortable or pleasant (as hotel employees are always asking what they can do toward that end...), however abhorrent their tastes and preferences. As for the ludicrous suit, if the waiter in question HAD been allowed to serve the people, in addition to the blowback it would have had for the hotel as I suggested above, he would have been suing them for the emotional distress caused him by having to deal with racist guests who became upset and agitated at his presence or service, who refused to eat the food he brought them, did not tip him, complained about his skin color to management or even called him racial epithets. The fact that his employer had received a request from the guests clearly indicating strong and unabashed racist feelings on their part would have been proof that they exposed him to the ire of people they knew would not respond well to his appearance or accent.
How do some people even have the nerve to demand such things in this day and age. I don't want any blacks, or Jews, or people with accents replying to this post.
People go to hotels like the Ritz Carleton to be accomodated, NOT to accomodate themselves to the circumstances that they find. Fact of life.
Aisha - formerly known as randschicka
British family tells US hotel they 'do not want to deal with black staff'
- 26/04/2010 12:35:55 AM
1269 Views
They should've told them to take a hike, but the claim for 75k disgusts me too.
- 26/04/2010 12:48:45 AM
536 Views
yeah seriously
- 26/04/2010 01:13:54 AM
546 Views
What sort of tips do you think a racist would give a black waiter?
- 26/04/2010 04:45:15 AM
764 Views
Nonsense. The hotel should refuse to do so, and people who disagree can go elsewhere.
- 26/04/2010 05:03:22 AM
567 Views
I think 75k is fine
- 26/04/2010 08:25:51 AM
557 Views
This is a good point. And it's unlikely he'll be continuing to work there, so... *NM*
- 26/04/2010 08:46:30 AM
214 Views
I disagree. Those ridiculous claims are a major problem in America.
- 26/04/2010 10:31:46 AM
539 Views
I would agree if he was demanding a million or 200k. *NM*
- 26/04/2010 05:46:53 PM
205 Views
Why is 75k all right, but 200k not? Where do you draw the line, and why? *NM*
- 26/04/2010 05:48:18 PM
201 Views
The line is arbitrary, I agree. Yet Legolas was against the mere idea of financial recompense
- 26/04/2010 11:41:52 PM
510 Views
So you support the right of a hotel to deny lodgings or service to a black person?
- 26/04/2010 04:35:04 AM
718 Views
say what?
- 26/04/2010 05:16:52 AM
631 Views
Re: say what?
- 26/04/2010 06:09:48 AM
483 Views
if thats the case, then they can go to hell
- 26/04/2010 06:12:21 AM
501 Views
Yes, I'm sure the press will pull out all the stops
- 26/04/2010 06:33:48 AM
518 Views
If it isn't a money issue, I'd go - this shows how far they will accomodate their guests.
- 26/04/2010 11:25:46 AM
531 Views
But it's the same principle - kicking someone out for something you don't like about them.
- 26/04/2010 11:34:55 AM
688 Views
Re: So you support the right of a hotel to deny lodgings or service to a black person?
- 26/04/2010 04:12:57 PM
638 Views
"Sorry, but you'll have to leave. We don't let people with really bad teeth stay here." 
*NM*
- 26/04/2010 05:47:00 AM
204 Views
*NM*
- 26/04/2010 05:47:00 AM
204 Views
Have any of you stayed at a Ritz-Carlton?
- 26/04/2010 06:09:25 PM
678 Views
