Lawsuit: Historic Detroit Club mistreats Black guests, called couple 'street rats'
A race discrimination lawsuit has been filed against one of Detroit's oldest private social clubs, which proclaims on its website: "You’ll feel at home whether you are a tenured member or a first-time visitor."
Not exactly, counters a former front desk clerk who is suing the 130-year-old Detroit Club in federal court, alleging management mistreats Black guests, enforces its dress code differently between white and Black patrons and in one case used the term "street rats."
Similar allegations have been made on Google reviews in recent months, with multiple reviewers alleging they've encountered racism at the Detroit Club, which is now embroiled in a bitter legal feud with an employee who says she saw too much.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, former desk clerk Maria Victoria Ferrer is taking on the iconic downtown club that has entertained presidents, celebrities and dignitaries for decades at the corner of Fort and Cass avenues.
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In her lawsuit, Ferrer, who is Latina, alleges that she was "abruptly" fired from the Detroit Club in April after voicing her concerns about racist behavior at work. According to the lawsuit, Ferrer was brushed off by management and questioned for being “too sensitive about racial discrimination.”
In the end, it was her objection to a "street rat" comment by the club owner that got her fired, the suit states. Following Ferrer's termination, a bartender quit over her firing, only to be threatened and berated in a series of text messages by the owner, the lawsuit states.
Detroit Club owner Lynn Uralli, who is a named defendant in the lawsuit, did not return calls for comment. In response to Google reviews, the Detroit Club has previously stated that "we take accusations of racism very seriously."
According to court documents, here is what landed the luxurious clubhouse in federal court:
Ferrer was hired March 17 as a front desk agent and, over time, witnessed the enforcement of the club's dress code, which prohibits sneakers, work boots, ripped jeans, hoodies, baseball caps and other recreational attire.
Before 6 p.m., "smart casual" dress is allowed and may include denim and collared shirts. After 6 p.m., it's business casual or better, which includes collared shirts, turtlenecks, slacks, blouses, sweaters or skirts.
The dress code, however, was typically not enforced for overnight guests as they were checking into their rooms, the lawsuit states.
Ferrer was aware of this.
So one night in early April, Ferrer allowed a Black couple to check into their room while out of dress code. When the couple came back down from their room, she explained the dress code to them, and the couple said they would obtain proper attire.
After this interaction, Ferrer's supervisor approached the couple and asked the woman whether there was a problem. The woman said she was unhappy with the dress code.
The supervisor allegedly got in her face, stating: "We have a dress code here and if you don't like it you can leave."
Things escalated.
"The woman asked (the supervisor) to back away from her face to which (the supervisor) refused, responding that she was 'fine right here.' "
The couple sought to leave and asked for a refund.
Prior to that incident, Ferrer had seen several white couples check into overnight rooms without following the dress code, but her supervisor didn't object.
The next day, Ferrer told her supervisor that her actions "amounted to racial harassment."
The supervisor became defensive and told Ferrer to speak with the owner.
'Do you think you're Black?'
The Detroit Club is owned by Emre and Lynn Uralli, who purchased the clubhouse in 2014, invested millions of dollars in renovations and reopened it in 2017.
It was closed for almost four years before the Urallis took over, refurnishing its grand dining and reception rooms and adding new lounge areas and amenities, including a spa and whirlpool floor and 10 overnight guest suites.
Then, five years into the club's revival came Ferrer's race discrimination lawsuit.
Uralli met with Ferrer to discuss her claims, allegedly asking her: "Do you think you're Black?" and telling her she "seemed defensive and sensitive about racial discrimination."
Ferrer suggested the owner do something to address the problem, though nothing was done.
Then came an incident involving a well-dressed Black woman in a leopard-print suit. She approached the desk and asked about a “Mr. Brown.”
Ferrer's supervisor was nearby, and, according to the lawsuit, aggressively approached the woman and exclaimed, “We don’t know a Mr. Brown or have a Mr. Brown in here."
The guest opted to wait, saying she was certain a Mr. Brown was there.
He was. Mr. Brown was a guest and prominent political candidate who, after greeting the woman in the leopard-print suit, noticed she was angry.
"Mr. Brown rightfully inquired what was going on and why his guest was treated in that manner," the lawsuit states.
Ferrer diffused the situation, though the woman's complaints were not investigated.
Conflicting club rules
On April 9, bartender Charles Lisee complained to his boss that nonwhite guests were being "verbally" mistreated when they entered the club, but that nothing was done.
Two weeks later, a Black couple was checking into their room when the man noted he is a musician and asked whether he could record a short video in his room.
Ferrer's supervisor said no, explaining that guests are not allowed to have more than two individuals in the room. So the woman offered to leave the room so that the cameraman could be the second individual.
Ferrer was surprised by what happened and reminded her supervisor that the previous week, she had allowed a white couple to have another couple join them in their room without ever mentioning the two-guests-only rule.
The supervisor claimed she didn't remember the incident, the lawsuit states.
'You're letting street rats in?'
On April 23, the Detroit Tigers had a day game in Detroit and Ferrer's supervisor notified her that the club was being relaxed about the dress code.
That day, a Black couple entered the club out of dress code when the owner asked Ferrer why she let them in, the lawsuit alleges.
“Are they guests? So, you’re letting street rats come in?” Uralli allegedly told Ferrer.
The man heard the comment and approached Uralli, telling her she had lost a potential new member, the lawsuit states. He also left a comment on Google Review two months ago about the Detroit Club, stating:
"Racist owner do not recommend anyone staying. me and my girlfriend stepped in to use a restroom and the desk lady allowed us ... The owner of the hotel went to the desk lady ... saying street rats are not allowed ... I told her that was completely wrong ... and she didn't seem to care at all."
The Detroit Club responded to the Google review, stating:
"We are not sure why you felt the need to leave a bad review and a false description of events, and we take your accusations very seriously. We have talked with our team extensively and we have no record of you setting foot in our establishment and no one has experienced these events as you have described them. Also, the owner has been out of town at another property, so it’s not possible for you to have spoken with them. If you have a legitimate complaint, please call us."
It was that incident that led to Ferrer's termination, the lawsuit alleges. She had objected to the owner's comment, and after finishing her shift, a manager asked to walk her to her car. During the walk, Ferrer vented about "so many racial incidents" at work.
At the behest of the owner, the manager fired Ferrer that day — she wasn't the "right fit," she was told — according to the lawsuit.
Threatening texts
On April 25, two days after Ferrer's termination, the bartender quit his job.
"(He) felt he had no choice but to resign as nothing was being done to address the ongoing discriminatory practices previously reported," the lawsuit states.
But then came threatening text messages from the Detroit Club owner.
"I am going to destroy you," Uralli allegedly wrote to the bartender in one text, which is on file in federal court. "You have no idea what you started. ... You are a liar and you are insane and you are going to pay for the attempt of defaming my business."
Uralli also allegedly threatened to interfere with the bartender's and Ferrer's professional careers as real estate agents, and texted that she would "put (Ferrer) behind bars” over her accusations.
Ferrer is being represented by attorney Jack Schulz, who filed a similar discrimination lawsuit in 2018 against Founders Brewing on behalf of Tracy Evans, a fired events and promotions manager at Founders' Detroit taproom who alleged that Founders tolerated a "racist internal corporate culture" and that he was fired in retaliation for his complaints about racism. Founders settled the lawsuit in 2019 for a confidential amount.
Schulz said he hopes the Detroit Club owns up to its alleged actions.
"Whether it's a private club, or a public market ... there’s no place for this type of racism or discriminatory treatment," Schulz told the Free Press on Wednesday. "The statements as portrayed by my client portray an egregious harassment based on race. And I hope that the Detroit Club analyzes their actions and changes their ways."
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of punitive and compensatory damages. It names three defendants: the Detroit Club, Lynn Uralli, and Suzette Day, Ferrer's supervisor.
Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Historic Detroit Club hit with race discrimination lawsuit
