The DoubleTree in Portland says it has fired two employees involved in kicking an African-American guest out of the hotel.
In a tweet Saturday morning, DoubleTree Portland announced the employees' termination, saying their actions were inconsistent with the hotel's values.
"We have terminated the employment of the two men involved in the mistreatment of Mr. Massey," the tweet read. "Their actions were inconsistent with our standards & values. We reiterate our sincere apology for what he endured & will work with diversity experts to ensure this never happens again."
Lawyers representing the guest, 34-year-old Jermaine Massey, said they intend to pursue legal action soon. The firings come just a day after the hotel announced it would place the two employees involved on leave and bring in an outside party to investigate the Dec. 22 incident, which has since received national media attention.
Attorney Gregory Kafoury of the law firm Kafoury & McDougal also said the firm is investigating "similar reports" from other Hilton hotels around the country. Hilton owns the DoubleTree chain.
"Why did it take a week to figure out that the conduct violated their values?" Kafoury told OPB.
Massey was talking on his phone late in the evening in the lobby when hotel security guard Earl Meyers, 71, asked him to prove he was a guest of the hotel or leave, according to a report by the Portland Police Bureau.
Massey, from Kent, Washington, accused Meyers of being racist, the police report states.
The incident, which was captured on video, comes amid a series of high-profile incidents across the country in which the police have been called to investigate people of color performing normal, everyday acts.
The hotel said Monday it had reached out to Massey. But on Thursday, Massey said through his attorneys that he’s not interested in a closed-door discussion.
The incident also received widespread scrutiny from city leaders including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who said he was troubled by "Mr. Massey’s experience with discrimination."
Copyright 2018 Oregon Public Broadcasting
