Three black women claim that a security guard at New York's Standard Hotel accused them of solicitation last month when they were drinking at the hotel's bar. Weeks after the incident, the women were reportedly contacted by a hotel representative and offered a bottle of champagne and a $400 dinner at the hotel's restaurant.
According to emails obtained by AlterNet, the hotel representative does not make an explicit reference to the prostitution allegation. "Again, I want to apologize for what happened to you here that evening," the hotel wrote. "We are extending this table for 4 as a gesture of goodwill for you and your friends, plus one more person. Please let me know when you would like to come back."
Kantaki Washington, a lawyer, told AlterNet that she and her two friends were speaking with a man at the hotel bar when they were approached by a security officer.
"After the security guard ushers the brotha away, he comes over to me and my friends and says, 'Come on, ladies. You can buy a drink but you can't be soliciting,'" Washinton told AlterNet. "We were like, soliciting? He said, 'Don't act stupid with me, ladies. You know what you're doing. Stop soliciting in here. We were like, 'Soliciting what?'"
According to Washington, the three were the only black women in the bar.
"Dude, I'm a lawyer and these women are educators," Washington said she told the security guard. "Why the hell would I be in here soliciting prostitution?" Washington claims he responded, "I don't know but that's what you're doing."
Upset, Washington said she complained about the incident to a hotel manager, who told them that, technically, security is "outsourced," so the guard wasn't actually a part of the staff.
"We should have some formal apology," Cydney Madlock, a charter school teacher, told AlterNet. "And the $400 dinner, we all have careers. That's nothing. We can afford that ourselves. If I want champagne...what is that? I felt like [the security guard] was talking to me like a dog in the street."
The Standard Hotel issued a statement to Daily Intelligencer:
"Both the misinformation and comments made were provided by third parties, not employed by The Standard. The Standard has zero tolerance for any type of discrimination at any of our properties and profusely regrets the situation." A request for clarification about the "misinformation" and free dinner offer did not receive a reply.
"It's beyond what I can imagine could happen in 2014, J. Lyn Thomas, a dance teacher, told AlterNet. "Three black women, and the only reason why we could be there is because we're soliciting for sex? That's ridiculous."
[H/T Daily Intel // Image via Standard Hotel]
