$300,000 Discrimination Lawsuit Filed Over Marriot’s ‘No Party Policy’

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Marriot is facing a $300,000 lawsuit. A California woman filed the suit claiming she was singled out during check-in because of her race and required to sign a "no party policy' the Marriott desk clerk insisted was standard.

What Makes a Business Practice Standard?

While the desk clerk claimed that requiring guests checking in to sign a 'no party policy' was standard, one particular guest who was required to sign it insists she was singled out due to her race. Felicia Gonzales, a 51-year old Californian black woman, was attempting to check in to the Residence Inn by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center when asked to sign the 'no party policy." The desk clerk said that all guests were required to sign the same policy. Gonzales accepted that the 'no party policy' was standard practice at the hotel until she witnessed white guests checking in without being asked to sign the 'no party policy.' For the practice to be "standard," it would need to be required of all guests, not just certain guests.

What Is a 'No Party' Policy?

' The 'no party policy' was allegedly two pages long and included a variety of potentially discriminatory information including:

  • Noise limits

  • Instruction not to "insinuate distrust" in other guests

  • Clarification that hotels do not want to have parties and that their hotel did not want that sort of business

  • Notification that guests were responsible for any missing items from suites

  • Notification that guests were responsible for any damage "invited or uninvited people" cause to the outside hotel property

Why Was Gonzales Asked to Sign the 'No Party' Policy?

Gonzales was a Marriott rewards member and had not had any problems in the past. She had never had a noise complaint at the hotel or any Marriott hotel. Gonzales signed the policy so she could check into her room; the desk clerk would not check her in for her five-night stay unless she signed. But being required to sign a 'no party' policy did not feel right, so she went back to the check-in desk later and observed numerous white guests checking in for their stay. There was no mention of the 'no party policy' to any of the white guests Gonzales saw checking in to the Residence Inn.

The $300K Discrimination Lawsuit:

Gonzales, the plaintiff in the suit, seeks $300,000. She claims the situation was frustrating, embarrassing, and humiliating, and that she felt racially stigmatized. It is noted in Gonzales' discrimination lawsuit that it could be amended to seek $1 million in punitive damages at a later date. Marriott does not comment on pending lawsuits.

If you need to discuss discrimination violations or if you need to file a discrimination lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced employment law attorneys are ready to assist you in any one of various law firm offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.