NEW ORLEANS – A couple is suing a hotel chain alleging racial discrimination during a stay because they are an interracial couple.
Thomas d’Aquin and Esther Kelly filed a lawsuit against Starwood Hotels and Worldwide Properties Inc., nine individuals and Hanover Insurance on June 8 in the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, citing a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Hate Crimes Protection Act of 2009.
Kelly and d’Aquin claimed that while staying at the hotel they requested an ambulance to be called and a leaky toilet that caused a broken ankle. They claim that they were told by hotel staff that they must wait until the morning for assistance and that management did not fix the toilet or offer to move them to another room. The also claimed that they did not receive the proper treatment until after they tweeted and called the Westin Corporate Offices.
Due to the prejudice they claim they faced, Kelly and d’Aquin decided that their insurance company, Hanover Insurance, handle the situation, but have faced issues with their claim.
Kelly and d’Aquin are representing themselves and are seeking $60 million from each defendant.
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana case number 2:15-cv-01963-HGB-SS