A Black woman questioned her hotel bill — and an employee called police, NC suit says
A Black woman was asking about a billing error at the North Carolina hotel where she and her family were staying in 2018 when a worker called police on her, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleges.
On Nov. 23, 2018, Delores and Alvin Corbett checked in to The Hampton Inn & Suites off I-95 in Wilson with their two teenagers and other family members, the lawsuit says. They were staying in Wilson to “celebrate the life” of Alvin Corbett’s mother, Fannie Corbett, who died in 2019 and was declared a “civil rights pioneer” in North Carolina, according to a news release from their attorney Jason Kafoury.
Wilson is about 50 miles east of Raleigh.
The morning of Nov. 24, Delores Corbett went to the front desk to clarify a billing error, the lawsuit says. The front desk worker “loudly stated” the credit card she used for the reservation was declined. Corbett then explained she had prepaid for the room using rewards points, which she verified when the family checked into the room. The worker “loudly repeated” that the credit card was declined and kept doing so despite Corbett asking her to stop, according to the suit.
Corbett then pulled up the confirmation that her reservation was paid for and asked to speak to a manager when the worker wouldn’t look at it, the suit says. At that point, the worker shouted, “Get off my property,” and called the police, according to the suit.
Corbett then rushed her husband and 16-year-old son to the family’s van while she and her 15-year-old daughter packed up their room and left, the lawsuit says. When police arrived, the suit says Delores Corbett told officers her family “had done nothing wrong” and that they were checking out of the hotel that morning.
The worker also acknowledged the family had paid for the room when asked by police, according to the suit.
Police escorted the family out of the hotel then followed their car to a restaurant parking lot — where the four were waiting for other family members — and “circled their car several times,” per the lawsuit.
The lawsuit lists Hilton and Patco Lodging of Wilson as defendants and alleges they treated the Corbetts differently from other guests because of their race.
The Hampton Inn where the family stayed is a Hilton franchise hotel owned and operated by Patco Lodging, according to the suit.
“Hilton is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture, quality accommodations and a welcoming environment for all Team Members and guests visiting our more than 6,100 properties,” Nigel Glennie, a spokesperson for Hilton, said in a statement to McClatchy News. “As we strive to be the World’s Most Hospitable Company, we have zero tolerance for racism and discrimination.”
Glennie said in the statement that Hilton doesn’t “normally comment on pending legal matters” but that the company’s records show it worked to resolve the complaint in 2018.
“We believe that our Hilton team engaged with sensitivity to understand, listen and address concerns about the guest’s experience,” the statement said.
The news release from the attorney includes emails to Delores Corbett from the hotel and Hilton.
The email from the general manager of the hotel said her credit card was “charged in error” and refunded and that it was unclear why the worker “panicked” and called the police. The email said the employee was reassigned and that the incident was being reviewed.
An email included in the release to Delores Corbett from a Hilton guest relations specialist said the concerns were forwarded to the appropriate departments and were being taken seriously.
Patco said in a statement to McClatchy News on Friday that the company is aware of the suit.
“We handled the incident properly and in accordance with Hilton’s sensitivity programming, and our guest assistance team worked to understand, listen and address the concerns expressed at the time,” according to the Patco statement.
The statement also said Patco believes the “suit has no merit” and looks “forward to being vindicated in court.”
“As a franchised property of Hilton, Patco is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture, quality accommodations, and a welcoming environment as outlined in the Hilton core values statement,” it says. “We as property owners have a zero-tolerance policy regarding racism and discrimination, and our team regularly participates in mandatory guest services sensitivity training.”
The suit seeks damages to compensate for the plaintiffs’ “economic loss, humiliation, embarrassment and emotional distress” and punitive damages that would punish the defendants’ alleged “willful, wanton, and reckless conduct” to prevent similar incidents in the future.
It also says it wasn’t an “isolated incident.”
The suit filing comes days after a video showed a Hampton Inn worker call the police on a Black guest and her children who were swimming in the hotel pool in Williamston, North Carolina, McClatchy News previously reported. The employee was fired and the hotel chain has apologized.
