Drury Hotel’s Response

Sweet friends, I apologize for the time it has taken me to update all of you.  Since Ruby was kicked out of the Drury, there have been zillions of emotions throughout the days as well as many emails, and many, many phone conversations with Drury.

But first, we cannot thank all of you enough for having Ruby’s back in this situation.  Your response was incredibly overwhelming. You love, love, love our precious girl!!  My eyes well with tears at your unwavering devotion to our precious broken-bodied little Ruby.

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When Ruby was discarded and left to die in the hot African sun (at a year old and weighing just six pounds) no one would have ever believed, at that moment in history, that within months she would have a fan club around the world who adore her! No one also would have guessed that that same fan club would fiercely defend her when a manager of the Drury Hotels kicked her and her little pink wheelchair out in Greenville, South Carolina!

I honestly think that Alex, the Assistant Manager, fully thought he could get away with it.  We believe he thought we were just some “big, stupid family with useless kids in wheelchairs who happened to have old parents.” We also believe he didn’t think for a second that the same dumb parents would have any ‘real’ social media connections.  As one of you so aptly put:  He picked the wrong family to mess with!

Actually though, he chose the right family to mess with!

The thing is that we believe that our gracious God allows situations and puts us in places for specific purposes.  We also know that Almighty God has given us the powerful responsibility to speak for those who can’t.   Although God Himself was deeply grieved that Ruby would be kicked out of the hotel, He did allow it.  When that discriminatory act was perpetrated against our daughter, we were given the incredible responsibility to attempt to ensure it never happens again to anyone with disabilities in the Drury Hotels.  

More than twenty-four hours after Ruby and our family were kicked out, we finally heard from a Regional Manager of the Drury Hotels.  Our guess is that corporate was hearing from Ruby’s peeps loud and clear!  (Thank you friends, really, truly, thank you!)

Since that first phone call from the Regional manager, we have now spoken on the phone many times.  Cory is very kind, but I have still been very troubled.  I cannot sleep at night as I am uncertain that Drury Hotels upper management really understands the implications of a 7-year-old non-verbal quadriplegic being kicked out of their hotel.   

We were accused by Alex of becoming aggressive and combative which frankly is hysterical.  During the incident, we did nothing but pack up.  Dw left the hotel immediately with Ruby and Birdie and put them in their car seats.  He then stood beside the car doing jumping jacks – the stress was incredible!

I gathered Liberty, Jubilee, Johnny, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Elijah and Elizabeth up and we neatly tidied up where we had been sitting in the dining room because we will always leave a place exactly how we found it, if not better, even when we are kicked out!

There are security tapes in the dining room so it would be easily able to be verified that we did exactly as I just wrote above.  The tapes also show that the room was basically empty of patrons.

So where does it sit at this point?

Cory, the Regional Manager, has apologized on behalf of Drury Hotels.  He comped our two rooms for the night we spent before being kicked out.  He also said he sent a couple of coupons on to our home which we have not received as we are still traveling in the south.

But in all of this we had to wonder – What is Drury’s policy and handbook say about the handling of special needs guests? After pushing hard to find out, it was declared that there is zero policy and zero training as to how to treat special needs guests like our Ruby.   That in itself is difficult to grasp.  The United States of America has instituted the American Disabilities Act for goodness sake!

An attorney from another state, who I do not know but had seen what had happened through the shares on Facebook (thank you again friends) wrote to me privately and said that although he could not give legal advice, he wanted us to take a look at the laws for South Carolina.  That link is here.  It is clear that what Drury Hotels did to Ruby was indeed illegal in the state of South Carolina.

While talking to Cory on the phone I have sobbed and sobbed.  This should never have happened.  This despicable act against our quadriplegic daughter is completely unconscionable.

I do have to tell you that the night we checked into Drury, I was not at check-in.  We had, on a whim, decided to drive this route as my BFF of almost 25 years lives a few hours from Greenville, South Carolina.   We have not seen each other in two years so she drove to meet me and was waiting at the hotel when we pulled in.  After Dw checked in, she and I left for dinner together and a long evening of catching up.

When I returned to the hotel that night I learned that Dw had had a delightful conversation with the woman at the desk who was gracious and kind.  She was so helpful and sweet to our kids that Dw told me later that night that he had given her one of my two books that have been published:  The Memorial Box.  Another manager, Melvin, also was very kind.

We have heard that other employees are deeply grieved that Alex would treat our family in such a way.  This woman and Melvin saw, first hand, what our family was like.

We do not want anyone to think that the entire hotel staff was creepy to Ruby.  That was not the case at all!  But sadly, Alex’s actions that morning completely overshadow everything else that happened.

I mean, we are still stunned!  Yesterday, it really hit me. I cried off and on all day.  I just cannot imagine anyone on our planet not treating a 7-year-old quadriplegic in a little pink wheelchair with kindness.   It seems to us that only an incredibly stone-cold heart could do that. Some have questioned if it was because of her race?

We want to ensure that any special needs treasure, whether young or old, is never, ever, ever treated as Ruby was.  We believe God put us in this position for that reason.  Who knows there may even have been others that Alex has kicked out, but having little social media exposure it was swept under the rug.

Apparently Drury Corporate doesn’t have a policy, a handbook or classes about how to value Special Needs individuals.  We were told it was “up to individual hotels discretion as to how a situation like Ruby would be handled.”  This friends is illegal and violates the American Disabilities Act.    Since Drury Corporate discriminates against special needs folks, please feel free to leave a comment on Trip Advisor, Yelp and any other travel site that would warn others.   Drury has deleted, blocked and disabled comments but even though they are big, they don’t have control over all the other sites!  

Drury will not go out of business because of this, but they will certainly be put on notice that this treatment of vulnerable special needs people is not okay!

Drury Hotels is liable for the one manager who had the flagrant disdain for our little girl and chose to kick her out!   As of this moment, I do not know of Alex showing any remorse for what he did and no, he has not been fired, put on leave or moved to another position.  There have been no consequences for his unconscionable, illegal actions. 

I will update you all in the near future as we continue to pursue this situation.

In the meantime, this is Ruby, the same day that Drury kicked Ruby out, we had the privilege of spending time at Michelle and Kevin’s home. Michelle and Kevin are International Voice of the Orphan board members, which is the ministry we founded. They love our family dearly and we love them all to pieces!  Michelle had made delicious gluten free brownies which we devoured after we enjoyed the BBQ that Kevin had made on their back porch.  I recorded Dw feeding Ruby her nibbles of the yummy brownie so you could see for yourself what Drury kicked her out for.

Please, if you are willing, leave a comment on Trip Advisor expressing your disapproval of what Drury Hotel’s employee did to our daughter. Apparently Drury Corporate doesn’t have a policy, a handbook or classes about how to value Special Needs individuals.  We were told it was “up to individual hotels discretion.”  This friends is illegal and violates the American Disabilities Act.

43 thoughts on “Drury Hotel’s Response

  1. Oh, sweet friend, Linny, it hurts my heart every time that I read that this happened in Greenville, SC just a few miles from my home. It hurts that one of our local people would be so callous to treat Ruby and your family as Alex did and it also hurts that I had no idea you were here. I could have been with you for breakfast and could have cried along with you. I pray that Drury makes amends by changing policy and training their employees on handicapped/disabilities etiquette. Bless you sweet friend. Prayers for a remainder of your trip. ~Martha

    1. I would have loved to meet you as well. I didn’t realize that was where you were and it was a last minute decision. I pray that we can change the way ALL Drury treats special needs guests. They say everyone is welcome to stay with them, but remarkably, they kicked a 7-year-old quadriplegic in a little pink wheelchair out. I remember hearing once that “actions speak louder than words”. I love you friend.

  2. Oh good grief. She’s happy, she’s screaming. How many able bodied toddlers had NOT done this at some point? This is a human rights issue, pure and simple. I fear that we are living in a climate that is less and less accepting of difference and people like Alex are getting away with bad behaviour. Keep fighting the good fight!

  3. Oh dear Linny & family- I don’t even want to imagine the depth of the sorrow this brought to your hearts. We have been struck by the viciousness of his words & attitude & have prayed numerous times for you & yours. May God continue to use you to champion the cause of those that can’t defend themselves against people & institutions like Drury Hotels. It was no accident that he attacked your darling daughter- this allowed God to receive the Glory & you have set wheels in motion that may have never moved otherwise. You have blessed our hearts by your testimony- May our God & Heavenly Father bless you & yours richly!!

    1. Thank you Susan so much for grieving with us. Please pray for wisdom as we proceed in #Justice4Ruby and all the other special needs treasures in the United States. You’re the best! xo PS We miss Perry. I could use a slow evening walk to Sweet Sarah’s.

  4. As a mother of a special needs child whose mode of mobility is a K-walker, at times a little impatient, but having the sweetest spirit, I can’t imagine someone being so heartless, or if I wouldn’t have recited the rights of those with disabilities. We have frequent numerous Drury locations as well as other hotels and resorts as I work to spread the word about books on the miracles as a result of my Laney Girl’s life. It’s unbelievable that someone can still be so heartless and lack mindfulness to see that our disabled population deserves the same rights. I continue to go to establishments and see that there hasn’t been any true accommodations for this population. It is up to us all to continue to advocate for their rights.

    1. Well corporate Drury has told us that there is zero training as well as zero policy as to how to handle special needs guests. They, instead, leave it up to each hotel. Apparently they have zero regard for the ADA as well as the laws of South Carolina – which they broke. As you know, more than most, kids that are fragile and vulnerable…need to be treated with tender care but instead Drury treated Ruby like rubbish. Please reconsider staying at Drury! #Justice4Ruby

  5. So sorry and saddened to hear of the horrendous treatment of Ruby and the, let’s face it, rubbish handling of their mounental and illegal mistake by the hotel chain.

    I wanted to just share that not all hotels are the same! We are currently staying in a Hilton Homewood Suites hotel and they have numerous disabled staff members. They have adopted a policy to increase diversity and inclusion. As the mother of a disabled child I will be using them again.

    1. Thank you so much Sophie for telling me! Sounds like Hilton Homewood Suites is WAY ahead and actually cares for Special Needs individuals. We will seek them out and as you can imagine, Drury Hotels definitely treated Ruby as though she was rubbish. It is unconscionable to us! #Justice4Ruby

  6. This popped up on my news feed. Very sad story. But nowhere can I find WHY you all were kicked out of the hotel. Please share, I am very curious. I need to know what could possibly get a sweet looking girl like Ruby, who is wheelchair-bound, kicked out of a hotel!

    1. Becky, Here’s what I posted on Facebook on August 15th:

      This morning our family was seated at the very back of the enormous dining room in the Drury Hotel in Greenville, South Carolina at about 8:15am eating our breakfast.
      I was feeding Ruby, our beautiful non-verbal 7-year-old African princess who also happens to be a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. Part way through breakfast we found that there was actually oatmeal on the breakfast bar so I went and got a bowl for Ruby as oatmeal is Ruby’s all-time favorite food!
      When I gave Ruby a bite she smiled, screamed and squealed with delight! A second bite brought another loud squeal with a gigantic smile! She was over-the-moon thrilled to have oatmeal! After all, oatmeal is truly her favorite!
      Around us were between 10 and 12 other guests also eating, spread out over the room, which was probably at least 40’ x 70’. As I mentioned, we were off to the side at the back of the very large room.
      Suddenly, out of nowhere a man appeared (who later identified himself as Alex the Assistant Manager) and firmly stated, “You are going to have to leave because of her screaming!” Dw stood up and questioned incredulously, “Are you joking?? She has special needs!”
      This poker-faced Assistant manager assured Dw that he was not joking and continued, “We do not want her disturbing our other guests.”
      Dw turned immediately, with the Assistant Manager still watching, and went over to each table (a couple were seated about 30 feet from us as well as a single person with a couple of kids) and questioned, “Is our daughter bothering you?” Everyone said she was not. I mean we were at least 30 feet from each of them.
      I thought the manager had heard her squealing and didn’t realize she had special needs. I pointed to her wheelchair and said, “She’s non-verbal! She’s in a wheelchair! She’s just expressing her excitement!”
      His face remained stone cold, with not even a speck of compassion as he once again told us, “She has to leave immediately! “
      Tears began to plunk from my eyes. How could anyone have such animosity for a fragile little one in a pink wheelchair? This wasn’t the front row of a high-dollar opera, this was a hotel breakfast with a few other guests seated at least 30 feet from us!
      Friends, most of you love, have prayed for and adore our Ruby. In fact she has a fan club all over the world! This Assistant Manager, who represents the General Manager and Drury Hotels Corporate office, needs to be held accountable. He offered no apology, was not kind in any way nor did he offer any compensation. If you would like to tell Alex what you think of his actions here’s the hotel number: 864-288-4401. The General Manager’s name is: Michael Lopez and can be reached at the same number. Drury Hotels corporate office’s number is: 314-429-2255
      When you are traveling you do have a choice in hotels. Please consider steering clear of Drury Hotels. It appears Drury Hotels is definitely not a friend of special needs treasures.

      *********
      Thank you Becky. As you can imagine, this is a direct violation of the ADA and also Drury broke the laws of South Carolina in doing so. Unconscionable that they would kick out a 7-year-old, nonverbal quadriplegic who was eating breakfast in a basically empty, enormous dining room. #Justice4Ruby

  7. I worked in corporate Drury hotels and they have no concept of human rights. All actions taken come from their policies and procedures manual and if a manager doesn’t follow them their gone!

    1. Well we have found (from Corporate’s own words) that there is Zero policy on the treatment of Special Needs guests but rather left to the discretion of each hotel. We were also told that there is zero training for the treatment of Special Needs guests. Apparently Drury has not heard of the Americans with Disabilities Act nor the laws of South Carolina. And the manager? He’s still there. #Justice4Ruby

  8. I am sorry that happened to your precious daughter. In my previous job I worked at the Drury Hotels home office. I can tell you what you experienced would not be acceptable to the owners of Drury Hotels. It is a Christian family owned company. This is an example of an employee who didn’t make the right choice in a situation that was probably foreign to him. But please know that Drury Hotels does strive everyday to make the right decisions regarding their guests. The people who work in the Hotels and the staff at the corporate office are truly amazing compassionate people. Please don’t judge the company on one unfortunate experience. They will do their best to make it right not because it would be a good business decision but because they believe in moral integrity.

    1. Actually Drury Hotels Corporate office has disclosed that there is ZERO policy as to the handling of Special needs guests, but rather left up to each hotel. Which is a direct violation of the American’s with Disabilities Act. Drury Hotels also broke the laws of South Carolina when they kicked Ruby out. There is also zero training in handling special needs guests (as per Corporate’s own words).

  9. Who what a difference a manager van make. I recently stayed at a Drury hotel in Birmingham Al great service the manager was a delightful.
    To hear of this hopefully isolated incident and pray this doesn’t happen again is horrible. I’m sure the hotel wasn’t full maybe a relocation to another room, but kicked out is appalling. Drury please do your due diligence with this manager. So, I can continue to respect this business.
    Thank you

    1. Although you had a great experience, did you have a Special Needs guest with you? If not, then we probably can’t compare ‘apples to apples’, right? Drury Corporate has said that the treatment which Ruby received is actually at the discretion of each hotel manager. Although actually Ruby being kicked out was in direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and actually broke the laws of South Carolina! Sadly, I guess Ruby thinks that SN guests don’t really add value to their “family” and so we will not stop telling all of the abhorrent behavior against our nonverbal, medically fragile, 7-year-old quadriplegic daughter. Things have to change! #Justice4Ruby

  10. This sounds terrible that you had to go through this, but I just can’t help but think this is more a stupid manager problem than a Drury Hotel problem. I don’t think any hotel would have a policy like this in their business model.

    1. Actually they have zero policy in their treatment of Special Needs guests. They have zero training as well when it comes to treating special needs guests. We have been told it is up to each individual hotel!!?!?! Although Ruby being kicked out was a direct violation of the ADA and it was illegal in South Carolina. I guess Special Needs guests are not a concern to Drury or they would have already done training and complied from corporate on down with the ADA. It is completely unconscionable that our nonverbal, medically fragile quadriplegic would be kicked out. We are still stunned! #Justice4Ruby

  11. She is happy and excited. Everyone communicates in their own special way when they are showing excitement. I have always enjoyed spending time @ Drury Inn, but if this is the way they treat people with special needs, I should reconsider the place I decide to lay my head.

    1. Thank you JH for your comment. Yes, this is how Drury treats SN guests even though it is illegal and a direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They have zero desire to change, at this point. Please reconsider where you lay your head as you travel. #Justice4Ruby

  12. Ruby I’m truly sorry this happen to you and your family and I’m praying that Drury Inn make this right but I must say they have lost me and family as a customer forever because of the way you all ways treated it breaks my heart… God bless and keep fighting. ..

    1. Unbelievably Drury has no plan to make this right. We don’t get it, but it IS illegal in the state of SC, not to mention a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We cannot “let it go” on behalf of all the other SN treasures in our United States! Hotels need to know that this is not okay. Not ever. Thank you for praying. Please pray specifically for wisdom for us. #Justice4Ruby

  13. I stayed at this hotel back in April 2017 and I encounter Alex he treated my partner and I very badly. I complained to the other manager nothing was never done to him I see because here goes this idiot mistreating a disable child. Alex is very rude in should never work in hospitality again. Sorry, you guy’s had to deal with just ignorance. Had they fired him this would’ve had happened.

    1. Wow! I can’t believe that you found this post and commented on it. I am sorry for your nasty treatment by Alex. This painful discrimination against our daughter was unbearable. Ruby was found dying in the corner in an orphanage in Africa. She weighed 6 lbs and was over a year old. We have advocated for her care in every way, as well as loved her beyond measure. It is shocking to us to have this illegal act perpetrated against our vulnerable, medically fragile, nonverbal, quadriplegic daughter. We will not let it rest. It’s unconscionable! Thank you for commenting and letting me know of your experience. #Justice4Ruby

  14. What a sweet heart! Our family will commit this to prayer and continue to be an advocate for special needs individuals. She truly is a joy! I also feel a need to pray for the employee involved. Without the Lord, He is completely lost and not fully able to understand what love is. I pray for his salvation and the opening of his eyes as only the Lord can do. I pray he can see his depravity (no different than mine) and also see God’s goodness and the great divide between the two. You and your family are such a light for the Lord and inspire me to love others better. Thank you for encouraging us to show the love of Jesus to everyone!
    Blessings

    1. Thank you for committing to pray Kris. And thank you for your kind words! We are grateful for God’s astounding faithfulness to our family. He has blessed us far beyond what we could have ever imagined! #Justice4Ruby

  15. I haven’t known what to say since your initial post on this horrible incident. Seeing your pictures on Instagram, following your blog and just loving your family from afar – it’s heart breaking when a child is treated this way – especially a child as sweet as your Ruby, in all her sassy glory. I don’t understand people and their reactions to kids and noises. Ruby wasn’t some obnoxious kid running around breaking stuff throwing things or anything of the sort. She was enjoying the moment. People seem to forget what it was like when they had little ones or that kids don’t have the same capacity we do as adults (not that I don’t lose patience with my kids sometimes who are almost four and almost two). We get looks and stares all the time when I’m in a store and my son (the almost two year old) screams or does something…little do they know we are in the midst of getting his hearing tested (he doesn’t say many words) and are in the process of early intervention programs. The worst place it happens? Sadly, at church. During mass this past Sunday we went to a different church than we normally do and my son seemed to be bothered by the acoustics during each song. Not five minutes into the service the lady at the end of our pew, right next to us, got up and moved and it was obvious my son was the reason why. It broke my heart. We try to teach our kids to be quiet during mass but they are little kids. My son has hearing issues. We’ve recently had people get up and asked to be moved in a restaurant (a loud, family restaurant with a bar) as well. Its so hard when its the people who you think are supposed to love you the most. I don’t know why I’m babbling on your post. I just wanted to say your family is amazing and I hope and pray that Drury hotels comes up with a concrete policy in compliance with ADA and that the manager comes to realize how wrong he was.

    1. Thank you Connie. It is difficult when I stare at my Ruby (who as you know has overcome tremendous abuse, hatred and obstacles and still has many she faces daily) to see her treated with such animosity. I vacillate between disbelief and sobbing still. And I am so sorry for the treatment your son and your family have received. The same people complaining will sit at sporting events and be part of a screaming frenzy but there is little tolerance for children with needs, which is frightening to my soul! This world has become such a yukky place on so many levels. So friend, thank you for caring and loving our Ruby from afar. As for the comments, I have to moderate and have to go through several steps to do it on my computer…so it’s not a quick process. I just hadn’t moderated until now. Now that you have been “allowed” to comment, your comments will automatically appear. Bless you my friend and thank you for commenting! xoxo #Justice4Ruby

  16. I am so so sorry you all had to go through with that.
    However I am not comfortable with you ‘naming and shaming’ the assistant manager trying to get him fired. He needs GRACE shown to him and training. He needs to hear the voices of the disabled. He does not need to lose his job and become bitter and resentful towards people with disabilities and Christians. Of course I am not the one who went through this so I can’t tell you how to feel/act. I just feel uncomfortable with this part of your story. I say this hesitantly but with humility. I don’t mean to offend anyone.

    1. This conversation would be much better over coffee, because with typed I am unable to convey emotions.

      But in all gentleness let me say:

      I am a little perplexed as to how you think I am “shaming” the Assistant Manager who had no problem kicking our non-verbal 7-year-old quadriplegic out of a hotel even when we questioned other patrons 30 feet away to see if she was bothering them? Of course you weren’t there, but his jaw was set and his eyes were angry looking. Was it racially motivated? Perhaps. How could someone be that cruel to kick out Ruby?

      Scripture should ALWAYS be our final authority….and so based on scripture…. it is full from beginning to end with the names of people and their actions. God doesn’t protect the names…we each have a choice every single day to have a name that honors God (even people who do not know Jesus can have an honorable names and legacy) or a name that the world sees as painful for the choices they chose to make.

      Many of today’s Christians think they need to be passive, make everyone feel warm and good and just love people to Jesus. I would challenge you that Jesus was anything but passive. Instead he called it like it was and even publicly rebuked the religious leaders on many occasions for their double standards!

      My guess is that you don’t have any SN children like Ruby and so it is hard to imagine what it would be like to actually BE Ruby. Ruby is a person, she has feelings just like you and I. Alex didn’t care about her feelings. She may not be able to “talk” but she TALKS to us every single day. And yes, she knows when someone despises her and kicks her out.

      I don’t know if you even realize what it feels like by what you said, but it feels like you are defending Alex’s behavior and that you are actually “protecting” him. Yet you are not wanting us to protect Ruby??

      Of course we have prayed for his heart to change. But in the meantime, we will ask others to petition Drury Hotels to change and actually obey the law! Would it be fair to keep hush to protect Alex and allow our friends with SN loved ones to go and experience the same thing? Not in our book! We will also let anyone know that Alex at Drury in Greenville is not a friend to Special Needs guests.

      Another thing is that if Alex lost his job, it would actually be because of Alex’s choices (not ours!). In the state of South Carolina, it is ILLEGAL to do what Alex did.

      Here’s a hypothetical: If a hotel manager ran a sex-trafficking ring in the hotel, would you feel sorry for him, pray for him, “give him grace” and keep it all quiet? I mean, if you ratted on him he “might” get fired. The bottom line would be that the manager’s choices would have cost him his job and he does not need GRACE!

      If you are thinking, “Well a sex-trafficking ring is different” then actually you are not understanding the value of Special Needs people, because breaking the law is breaking the law. Even the state of South Carolina realizes that SN people are to be protected and have EVERY SINGLE RIGHT that you have at the hotel. Any guest who was bothered by Ruby would be welcome to leave and take their breakfast to their room. Of course Dw asked if anyone was bothered and both parties that were “near” (30 feet at least) said she was not bothering them.

      The United States of America has an Act called the Americans with Disabilities Act (which is a different thing than SC law) and Alex also broke that too. Drury has protected Alex, refused to put in writing what they will do (we asked them to institute training for the entire Drury employee base as to how to treat people with Special Needs) and they have refused to do that. They have zero policies but instead have left it up to each manager.

      I am troubled that you feel you (or we) need to protect Alex and leave Ruby on her own. Yes, he needs a heart change, but you are not failing to acknowledge the infinite value of our non-verbal, 7-year-old quadriplegic in her little pink wheelchair who was victimized by the manager (who broke the law) of a huge hotel chain.

      Again, if my tone sounds anything but loving, you are misreading me. I am passionate that defending the broken body is a mandate from our great God and one that none of us should take lightly.

  17. Please keep us updated on your complaint with the ADA or the Office of Civil Rights. I filed a complaint with the EEOC after two managers were harassing myself and a coworker because of our pregnancies. I had other co-workers who could have filed lawsuits or filed complaints with the EEOC but decided not to. Two managers were finally fired after months of reports of misconduct from employees.

    I completely agree with you that confronting and exposing a wrong is the right thing to do. I witnessed unrepentant behavior from my managers during my employment. Sadly, a lawsuit or complaints filed with a governmental organization is often the only thing that motivates a company to change.

    1. Thank you for caring and truly thank you for commenting. In the laws of our land, Ruby has the same rights that any one else would have, yet she was treated as something to discard. We cannot allow this!! I am sorry you experienced harassment for being pregnant and thankful you had the courage to say, “NO more!” Please pray we would have wisdom as we proceed. Blessings to you.

  18. I know that lawsuits get a bad rap, or that those who file them are accused of being in it just for the money. However, I believe that lawsuits can be a powerful way to force change. Through my pregnancy harassment experience, I realized that organizations often refuse change unless a higher power imposes it on them.

    I don’t know if you are familiar with the Erin Andrews case? She was a sportswriter who was secretly filmed in her hotel room. She won a lawsuit against the hotel chain. The lawsuit exposed a lot of unrepentant behavior from the hotel executives.

  19. This isn’t only an issue with this chain. I was with Marriott for 12+ years as both a front desk agent, sales and later management. There was no special training in this area from corporate, and each property handled their own issues and problems at the hotel level. Call corporate to complain about an issue? They simply hand the issue to the GM of the individual hotel.
    I also worked for another major chain, and 2 individually owned smaller hotels .. I’ve never received training specific to SN guests, other than to be told that we of course shouldn’t discriminate against anyone based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation etc. etc.
    I’m not saying it SHOULDN’T be given, I’m just saying it’s not just an issue with this chain.

    1. I agree, I’m sure it’s not only this chain…yet accountability has to start somewhere or all will be allowed to get away with despicable treatment of special needs treasures!

      Although I have to say, we have traveled quite a bit (over 30,000 miles on several different road trips) – staying in hotels and no where has anything happened even remotely close to this! In fact most recently, due to circumstances, we were in a hotel here in Phoenix for 3 nights. The second morning as we rolled into the dining room the manager was standing at the front desk, feet from where we sat in the dining room the morning before. He said all chipper, “There’s the gang!” His attitude was that he fully embraced our family! What a stark contrast!

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