Dwight Jackson Detroit is a 27-year-old Black man who has sued the Shinola Hotel for racial discrimination in their hiring.
He applied for receptionist jobs from January to April 2024, but didn’t get any interviews when he used his real name.
So, he changed his name to “John Jebrowski,” which he thought sounded more “white.” This change worked, and he got several interview offers.
The lawsuit says the hotel broke the Michigan Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act by not hiring Jackson because of his name’s racial associations.
After an interview under his new name, he was told he wasn’t a good fit for the job.
The Initial Job Application Process
Between January and April 2024, Dwight Jackson Detroit applied for receptionist jobs at the Shinola Hotel in Detroit.
Despite his good qualifications from working at luxury hotels, Dwight Jackson Detroit didn’t get any interview offers under his real name.
Feeling frustrated, he applied again in April under a different name, “John Jebrowski,” and got many interview invites in just a week.
This showed a big difference in how he was treated based on his name, which Jackson believes is unfair and a violation of Michigan’s Civil Rights Act.
The Name Change Strategy
Dwight Jackson Detroit changed his name on his resume after not getting job offers at the Shinola Hotel with his real name.
He chose “John Jebrowski,” thinking it sounded more white and would help him get interviews.
This move worked, and he got several interview offers.
Immediate Results After the Name Change
Dwight Jackson Detroit noticed a big difference in how he was treated when he applied for jobs using his real name versus his fake name, “John Jebrowski.”
When he used his real name, he didn’t get any interview invites even though he had the right skills and experience for the hospitality job.
But, after changing his name, he suddenly got many interview offers from the Shinola Hotel in just a week.
This big change showed that Dwight Jackson Detroit was being unfairly judged because of his race, which made him decide to take legal action against the hotel for their unfair hiring.
Legal Grounds for the Lawsuit
The Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act is a law that stops job discrimination by race, religion, gender, marital status, and more.
Dwight Jackson Detroit sued the Shinola Hotel, saying he was not hired because of his race, despite applying for jobs.
He applied to the hotel from January to April 2024, got no replies, but after changing his name to “John Jebrowski,” he got interviews.
This shows he believes the hotel hired based on racial stereotypes, proving there’s a problem with hiring discrimination.
The Interview Experience
During an interview at the Shinola Hotel, Dwight Jackson Detroit challenged the interviewer after sharing his real name, which he had used under a different name, “John Jebrowski.”
Jackson believed he was not considered for interviews under his real name, “Dwight Jackson,” because of racial stereotypes.
Dwight Jackson Detroit claimed his qualifications were ignored because his name sounded African American.
However, after the interview, Jackson was told he was no longer a good fit for the job, which he believes supports his claim of discrimination in his lawsuit against the hotel.
Reactions from Shinola Hotel
After Dwight Jackson Detroit made claims about discrimination at the Shinola Hotel, the hotel’s leaders have responded by saying they are very serious about diversity and inclusivity.
Anna Stancioff, who speaks for the hotel, said they don’t accept any kind of discrimination and are focused on creating a welcoming place where everyone can do well.
Daniel del Olmo, who runs Sage Hospitality, which owns the hotel, said the lawsuit is without merit and that since they started managing the hotel in November 2023, most new hires and promotions have been given to people of color.
The hotel believes their staff represents the community’s diversity and is working hard to make sure everyone is treated fairly.
Public Response and Media Coverage
Dwight Jackson Detroit has filed a lawsuit against the Shinola Hotel and the story made headlines with CNN and The Grio among other large media outlets.
This lawsuit has discussions on racial discrimination and unfair hiring going around, with some experts stating that these continue in 2024.
The lethal lawsuit has in the past served various feelings amongst the community with many of them feeling appalled at what befell Jackson.
He has leaders in the community endorsing him and people are wanting change as to how they hire people so that they can be fairly treated.
However, it is necessary to identify these issues that need to be addressed at different levels of society, as Dante king – human resources expert mentioned.
Potential Outcomes of the Lawsuit
If the Shinola Hotel is guilty of discrimination by Dwight Jackson Detroit it shall be in trouble, such as paying some damages, and changing the ways of hiring.
The Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act could force the hotel to compensate for lost pay and emotional damages and also mandating the hotel runs the staff to stop discriminating against Jackson.
This case could result in many sectors changing hiring practices and becoming more equitable for individuals, and so benefiting the general public.
Dwight Jackson Detroit’s committed lawsuit shows that race and discrimination are current and active barriers within the job marketplace. It may create awareness on equal employment opportunity and force organizations to do better, impact Jackson’s future and advance equality across America.
