After changing his resume to “John Jebrowski” and getting a job interview, a black man sues a hotel for discrimination

A Michigan hotel is the target of a lawsuit filed by a black man alleging that he was only given the opportunity to interview for a job after changing his name on his résumé to seem more like a traditional white person.

Between January and April of 2024, Dwight Jackson, a 27-year-old with prior hospitality industry expertise, applied for several jobs at the Detroit-based Shinola Hotel. Jackson submitted an application under his true identity, but got no response despite his credentials, which included work at upscale establishments like the David Whitney Hotel and the Marriott Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit.

Jackson reapplied in April 2024 under the alias “John Jebrowski” with nearly similar resumes since he felt suspicious. This time, he had several interview offers in the same week. The lawsuit claims that while the resumes were identical overall, the dates of prior employment varied.

“It goes beyond money and cents to be turned down for a job in your hometown in 2024 because of the color of your skin. It penetrates a person’s psyche,” Jackson’s lawyer Jon Marko said to CNN.

The operating partner of the Shinola Hotel, Sage Hospitality Group, addressed the accusations via their representative, Anna Stancioff. “We do not accept any form of discrimination, and we take this claim extremely seriously. According to Stancioff, “We are committed to creating a diverse workforce that reflects the community and to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”

Marko pointed out that Jackson’s situation is unique since there is unmistakable proof of name bias. This is corroborated by a recent National Bureau of Economic Research research, which found that callbacks for resumes with Black names were lower than those with white names. However, proving such bias is frequently difficult, and a lack of proof prevents many cases from moving forward.