Waiter Says Naples Ritz Catered to Racist Brits

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Waiter Says Naples Ritz Catered to Racist Brits
A 15-year employee alleges he was kept from doing his job because guests didn't like black people.

By JANIE CAMPBELL
Updated 3:30 PM EDT, Sat, Apr 24, 2010
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First it was the singular Princess Pushy, and now a whole British family has caused a stir with racist demands while traveling in the States.

The Ritz-Carlton beach resort in Naples is being accused of discrimination for catering to a visiting family's desire not to be served or come in contact with any black or "accented" employees.

Rather than telling the family they should try traveling in a time machine to the set of Friends instead, a lawsuit says the posh hotel actually accomodated the request.

In the hotel's reservations system, where employees usually enter guests' preferences for room temperature or sparkling water, records show a staff member noted the family's enlightened thoughts on race.

"As per [managing director] Mr. Staros," the system reads, "this couple is very, very prejudice and [do not] like ppl of color or foreign accents."

Then, a 15-year veteran of the property's wait staff says, he was actually pulled from the family's table at the hotel's beach grill by supervisors and told to stop serving them because he is black -- a practice his lawsuit aims to end.

Haitian-American U.S. citizen Wadner Tranchant filed suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers.

He charges that the Ritz-Carlton and its managing director created a work environment that is hostile or abusive, and that this isn't the first time the Ritz has decided the customer is always white...er, right.

(Somewhere, Haitian-American employees at the Ritz-Carlton in Miaminod their heads.)
For their part, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company denies they cater to racist guests.

"The Ritz-Carlton cannot comment on pending litigation," vice president of public relations Vivian Deuschl told NaplesNews.com, "but can say the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company does not allow discriminatory actions by employees or guests."

Guess the "but we do note them in the computer system, and allegedly enforce them" part was silent

Stanley Lucas, April 24 2010, 7:07 PM

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