Feds: Black employees harassed at JQH hotel in Illinois
John Q. Hammons Hotel Management is being sued in federal court after allegations surfaced that black employees at one of the company’s hotels in Illinois were repeatedly subjected to racial slurs and comments about slavery.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against the Springfield-based hotel management company on Sept. 30 following allegations that black employees of the Marriott Hotel in Normal, Illinois faced a pattern of inappropriate behavior that management failed to stop, according to a news release from the EEOC.
The Hammons company said in a statement it would not comment on specific claims in an ongoing lawsuit but noted its “stellar record” of creating fair workplaces.
An EEOC investigation revealed that one black employee at the hotel was told, “Thank you for your contribution to America for picking all that cotton,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit describes a “racially hostile work environment” where black employees were subjected to “unwelcome physical contact motivated by race.”
The EEOC’s news release says the hotel company was aware of the racial harassment but took little or no action to stop it.
“As soon as an employer becomes aware of any kind of discriminatory harassment in the workplace, the employer must act — and must act promptly," said John Hendrickson, EEOC's regional attorney in Chicago. "That is the law, and the EEOC will hold employers accountable if they if they don't live up to that responsibility."
According to the news release, the EEOC believes the hotel company’s behavior violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination on the basis of race. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court of the Central District of Illinois.
John Q. Hammons Hotels and Resorts is one of the largest private independent owners and hotel management companies in the country, according to its website, with 35 hotels in 16 states.
JQH spokeswoman Sheri Smith issued a statement saying the company had been served with the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation.
“As a leader in the hospitality industry for decades, we stand behind our stellar record of employing thousands of individuals nationwide in a safe, fair and non-discriminatory environment,” Smith said in an email. “We have proven protocols in place company-wide to help ensure successful adherence to EEOC employment policies and practices.”
Recent past, future of west side shows how Springfield is changing