Racial discrimination lawsuit filed against Aimbridge

The director of sales for a Metairie hotel has filed a racial discrimination lawsuit claiming she lost her job because of her race.

Krystal M. Justice filed suit against Aimbridge Hospitality on April 21 in federal court in New Orleans.

Justice was employed as sales director and then employed as associate director for the defendant at the Sheraton Metairie. Shortly after the hotel was sold to the defendant in October 2010, Justice was told she was not performing at an appropriate pace and was demoted. She was replaced by a white male, the suit claims.

Justice claims she was demoted because she complained about the hotel's general manager's inappropriate jokes regarding race and national origin.

The defendant is accused of racially discriminatory demotion, retaliatory demotion, racial discharge, retaliatory discharge and pervasive, supervisory racial, national origin and retaliatory harassment.

The plaintiff is seeking an award of damages for back pay, fringe benefits, emotional distress, medical costs, punitive damages, attorney's fees and court costs.

Justice is represented by Metairie attorney J. Courtney Wilson. A jury trial is requested.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier is assigned to the case.

Case No. 2:11-cv-00953