Janice R. Andrews
A Black man claims that the Shinola Hotel in Detroit, Michigan, only extended an invitation for a job interview to him after he changed the name on his CV, and he has launched an employment discrimination complaint against the hotel. According to the lawsuit, which CNN was able to receive, the hotel refused to hire him when he applied under his true identity, “Dwight Jackson,” but then gave him an interview when he applied under the name “John Jebrowski,” in violation of the Michigan Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act.
The Case’s Specifics
Dwight Jackson, a 27-year-old Black man, applied for several jobs at the Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit between January and April 2024, including a receptionist position. Reputably luxurious, the Shinola Hotel ignored all of his applications made under his true identity. Jackson worked for several years as a “Front Desk Agent” in other upscale hotels in Detroit, but he never got an invitation for an interview.
Jackson made the decision to reapply for comparable jobs in April 2024, but he made one significant alteration: he chose the name “John Jebrowski,” which has a more conventionally Caucasian sound. He had several interviewing offers in the same week, all with practically the same CV. According to the lawsuit, this demonstrates that the hotel’s evaluation of applicants was impacted by the ethnic connotations of their names.
Social and Legal Consequences
“Mr. Jackson had applied for a job that he was eminently qualified for,” said Jackson’s lawyer, Jon Marko. He underlined that in 2024, losing a job in one’s hometown due to skin tone has an influence on a person’s mental health in addition to their financial prospects.
The operational partner of the Shinola Hotel, Sage Hospitality Group, has addressed the accusations. The Senior Corporate Director of PR & Brand Communications at Sage Hospitality, Anna Stancioff, said, “We take this allegation very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind.” We are devoted to creating a diverse workforce that represents the community and to promoting an inclusive workplace where everyone has the chance to flourish.
Dispute and Repercussions
Marko claims that Jackson went to the interview under a false name, confronted the interviewer, and disclosed his true identity. Jackson also claimed to have suspected that his initial applications had been rejected because of his traditionally African American name. Jackson was told he was out of luck to be considered for the job shortly after this altercation.
Integral Background of Name Bias
Name bias is a common cause of employment discrimination. The National Bureau of Economic Research recently conducted a research that demonstrated how common this problem is. Researchers analyzed whether race and gender had an impact on the callback rates for job applications by sending 108 U.S. firms identical resumes. They discovered that the least number of callbacks were given to resumes with Black male and female names.
Marko highlighted the challenge of establishing name bias, noting that the majority of cases are dropped for lack of proof. Jackson’s situation is distinct, though, since he used the same résumé to apply for virtually identical jobs twice, but the outcomes were different each time he used the alias.
A Request for Modification
According to Marko, Jackson wants to raise awareness of the pervasive problem of name-biased employment discrimination, which affects people not just in Detroit and Michigan but all around the nation. Jackson is hoping that by bringing his complaint, similar discrimination against others can be avoided.
The lawsuit has spurred debates about the need for stricter regulations to prevent discrimination in the workplace and encourage diversity. As the lawsuit moves forward, it’s likely to draw further attention to the ongoing problem of name prejudice in recruiting procedures and encourage businesses to review their hiring procedures in order to guarantee equity and justice for all applicants.
