Black man who was offered job interview after changing name on his resumé sues for discrimination

If he submitted identical resumes (minus the name), and then magically got the call under the other name, seems like it would be a pretty cut and dry case of discrimination.

Obviously there are other things to look at and consider, like if the hotel has some diversity in management they could point to that in their defense. Maybe they knew who this guy was already and that’s why they didn’t want to interview him. But on the surface it obviously looks bad.

 

Since when is Dwight a black name?

 

The only current white Dwight is fictional

 

Wait, nobody's commenting on the name of the hotel?
And I think he was definitely discriminated against.

 

I think I've only personally know one Dwight. Seems to be about 78% white and 16% black. Maybe the numbers are radically different in Detroit.

Looks like it is the last name of Jackson that is 53% black and 42% white.

DWIGHT First Name Statistics by MyNameStats.com

JACKSON Last Name Statistics by MyNameStats.com

 

None of this stuff matters, really. It only really matters that the person making the hiring decisions thought it was a "black name."

 

I don't know the answer to this, but different sites report different things:

Black Man Sues Hotel Because Staff Only Offered a Job Interview After He Changed His Name on His Resume

from linked CBS article above. Oddly worded, but implies no other changes than the name.

Other factors could potentially include timing (different hiring managers?) and social media just off the top of my head, but just speaking from a perspective of "what if" rather than trying to make excuses for the hotel if they really turned him down due to perceived race. I'd be interested to know more about the exchange; was he invited in for an interview and they saw him and said "no" - or did they only say "no" once he explained to them what he did.

Go GATORS!
,WESGATORS

 

It's also worth pointing out that the story I read said that he had applied several times under his real name for job openings at this hotel with no response, so this wasn't a one-off snub... then he gets an immediate call back under "John Jebroski" ... yeah, seems off.

 

Bad look for Shinola. A friend’s wife used to do PR work for them soon after they launched. She’s extremely good, and black.

 

So Dwight Jackson is a black name? That to me, seems a bit racist in itself. In addition, the bigger question is does the hotel in question employ blacks? Being Detroit is 75% black, I would think they do and if so, not sure what basis this guy would have to sue.

But then again, in today’s time, who needs a basis to sue?

 

Im sure they do, but perhaps not in management jobs. That would be the biggest determining factor. If the hotel has diversity in the level of job this guy appied for, that undercuts his argument (he could still have been personally discriminated against, but it would undermine systemic discrimination).

On the other hand if the hotel manager level has little or no diversity, I don’t think going “hey, we got those black jobs in housekeeping and food prep” is very helpful.

Unfortunately it probably takes awhile for all that to come out in a lawsuit, if it ever does (if they settle, maybe no info really comes out). That’s the flaw in trying to comment on stories like this. This guy has his story, the hotel has their standard PR response.

 

I wonder how many Chinese are called Dwight? The chart didn't say.

 

Personally I think the damaged party here is the motel. I think Jackson was clearly wrong falsifying a job application. Then to slander the hotels name is bull shit. If he doesn't like the name Dwight maybe he should sue his momma for giving it to him.

 

Yes you are.

 

It’s only “slander” if what the guy says isn’t true.

Let’s see if the hotel sues for slander.

 

really?! You’re actually going with a “i know you are” as a retort??