Arab-American Man Sues Fort Lauderdale Hotel, Says He was Evicted because of His Ethnicity
SOURCE: SUN SENTINEL
BY: MARTIN VASSOLO
A Jordanian-American who visited South Florida last week for his anniversary has filed a lawsuit against a Fort Lauderdale hotel arguing that its staff discriminated against him by evicting him and his fiancé without just cause.
Rami Ziyadat, a Chicago resident, booked an eight-day stay at The Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort for $2,606. It would be his third stay at the hotel with his fiancé, Taylor Schneider, also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. But four days into their stay, on May 24, a hotel employee noticed Arabic words tattooed on Ziyadat’s forearm and called security, according to a discrimination lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida.
The employee told Ziyadat he didn’t “look like you belong here,” according to the lawsuit. They were then evicted from the hotel after the manager explained the couple was being “inappropriate” and had “violated the hotel policy,” the lawsuit alleges.
For complete story, go to The Miami Herald.