Airbnb Slapped With Racial Discrimination Lawsuit By Black Renter

Airbnb Slapped With Racial Discrimination Lawsuit By Black Renter

We reported a month about a new study from Harvard Business School showing that home renting site Airbnb hosts are more likely to book reservations with users who have “distinctly white” names.

Now, according to Mashable the site has been slapped with a racial discrimination lawsuit by a Black guest:

An African-American man who claims he was subjected to race-based discrimination while using Airbnb slapped the company with a proposed class action in a Washington D.C. federal court Tuesday, alleging that the company has routinely violated the Fair Housing Act and the civil rights of people of color.

The complaint alleges that 25-year-old Gregory Seldon was denied accommodation in Philadelphia in March 2015 due to his race.

Court documents state that he was looking for housing while planning a weekend getaway with friends, and turned to Airbnb as a cost-friendly option. At the time, his Airbnb profile was linked to his Facebook, so it displayed his profile picture, race, education and age when he requested housing.

He claims an Airbnb host rejected his initial application but subsequently accepted the same application when Seldon re-applied using profiles imitating white men, one under the name “Jessie” and another under the name “Todd.”

The complaint also claims that the company “shamed Selden for speaking out” when he complained about the discriminatory practices.

The host agent balked at his claims and instead told Seldon that “people like [him] were simply victimizing [himself],” according to court documents.

Seldon is seeking injunctive relief and unspecified damages as part of the class action.

Do you think Airbnb racially discriminates against guests of color? Discuss.