‘May 17, 2017 By Registered and Electronic Mail ‘Ame M. Sorenson President and Chief Executive Officer Marriott International 10400 Fetnwood Rd. Bethesda, MD 20817 Edward A. Ryan Executive Vice President and General Counsel ‘Marriott International 10400 Fetnwood Ra, Bethesda, MD 20817 Dear Mr. Sorenson and Mr, Ryan: We write as members of the Clinicians of Color Committee of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), Section on Clinical Legal Education, to raise to your attention an outrageous incident of racial discrimination that occurred at the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel on May 7, 2017. This was the site of the annual AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education (“AALS Clinical Conference”), which brought over 600 hundred law professors and practitioners together from actoss the country, from May 6 to May 9, 2017. Unfortunately, this was also the site of a blatant instance of racial profiling, which was immediately brought to the attention of the hotel staff and management, and whose grossly inadequate response only compounded the problem. At approximately 9:50 am. on Sunday, May 7th, a registered AALS Clinical Conference attendee, Brandon Greene, entered the men’s restroom on the Concourse Level of the Plaza building of the hotel. Mr. Greene is a staff attorney and Clinical Supervisor at the East Bay Community Law Center, the community-based teaching clinic of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Mr. Greene is also African-American, Soon after Mr. Greene enteted a private stall, closing and locking the door behind him, a Sheraton employee knocked on his stall door. The employee, dressed in black pants and black shoes, asked, “Are you staying here?” Mr. Greene responded, “I am here for a conference. Is it standard policy and procedure to knock on bathroom doors and question if someone is a guest?” The employee replied, “Just checking, sir.” Mr. Greene then said, “This is weird and a serious violation of privacy.” The employee then said again, “Just checking, sit.” The ‘employee was gone by the time Mr, Greene emerged from the bathtoom, ‘Mr. Greene immediately reported what had occurred to a hotel staff member at the hotel reception desk. That employce told our colleague, “Sorry for the inconvenience,” and asked that he move to the side while that employee dealt with another guest. Once the employee finally addressed our colleague, the employee asked Mr. Greene if he drinks coffee and gave him a card for a free beverage from Pect’s Coffee, The employee then left and emerged with another employee. Once Mr. Greene explained the issue to this employee, the employee told him that she was sorry for the inconvenience and that she would follow up with the head of security. Later that day, Mr. Greene, along with members from the AALS Clinical Conference Planning Committee, had a conversation with another hotel staff member. After Mr. Greene explained what had occurred, thestaff member began to ask Mr. Greene questions that were both dismissive of his experience and that called into question whether it was actually an employee who accosted Mr. Greene in the restroom, Mr. Greene gave the staff member an approximate timeframe for the event and was then told that the security footage would be checked, Later that evening, Mr, Greene received an email from the General Manager apologizing for the “unfortunate experience” but failing to address the harm caused by the incident. A copy of that ‘email is attached. On Tuesday, May Sth, Mr. Greene met with the Director of Security to discuss this issue. The Director explained that the hotel has “issues with transients” and proceeded to ask Mr. Greene if he was “dressed down” when the incident occurred. Mr. Greene explained that he was in jeans, a button up shirt and a sports coat, that his hundreds of white counterpart conference participants were dressed similarly if not even more casually, that none of his colleagues were mistaken for being transients and that in any case that fact~Mr. Greene’s clothing--was irrelevant to the clear racial profiling that had occurred, When Mr. Greene pressed the Director farther about what, if any, of his behaviors might seem suspicious, the Director could not or would not answer Mr. Greene's questions. These subsequent responses by hotel management were inadequate, failing to acknowledge that Mr. Greene's status at the hotel should never have been in doubt and that the manner of the question—knocking on the stall while he was inside—is a gross invasion of privacy and a distespectful means of questioning a guest. As you are no doubt aware, Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees the “full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation . . . without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.” 42 U.S.C. §2000a(a). Colorado law similarly prohibits discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of race. Colo. Rev. Stat. 24-34-601(1). The Sheraton is unquestionably a place of public accommodation under both federal and state law. 42 U.S.C. §2000a(b); Colo, Rev, Stat. 24-34-601 (1). ‘The treatment of our colleague was degrading and humiliating for him personally and offensive to us collectively. These are the very indignities that federal and state public accommodations laws were intended to address. The lack of recognition by hotel staff and management as to the impact of this discriminatory behavior on a hotel guest of color is unjustifiable. That such mistreatment of a patron could happen at all, combined with the failure of the hotel staff and management to adequately acknowledge or ameliorate the situation, suggests inadequate training and sends the message that racial profiling is an accepted practice at Marriott International hotels. In light of this instance of racial discrimination against our colleague and the hotel’s failure to meaningfully address it, we ask that Marriott International immediately take the following steps: + Issue a written apology to Mr. Greene, specifically addressing what assumptions were made about him, the basis of those assumptions, and why the assumptions, the behavior of the employee, and the hotel’s responses to date were wrong of insufficient to address the harm, + Issue an apology to all attendees of the AALS Clinical Conference. + Commit to providing anti-bias training for all Marriott International employees, including, training on unconscious bias, overt bias, and discrimination against all protected classes in public accommodations.+ Create a detailed, appropriate response plan for how to address these kinds of situations in the future, + Commit to recording and tracking incidents of discrimination, + Meet with members of our committee to discuss further appropriate action. ‘Our goal is to ensure that appropriate steps be taken to address the harm already done to Mr. Greene and that other patrons are not subjected to such discriminatory treatment at Marriott International properties in the furure. In light of Marriott International’s stated commitment to diversity and inclusion as “fundamental to our core values and strategic business goals,” hutp:/ /www-marriott.com/diversity/diversity-and-inclusion.mi, we trust that you will respond promptly and substantively to this letter. ‘You may reach us by contacting Professor Natalie M. Chin via email at natalie.chin@brooklaw.edu or by phone at 718-780-0659. Muneer I. Ahmad, Clinical Professor of Law, Yale Law School ‘Natalie M. Chin, Assistant Professor of Clinical Law, Brooklyn Law Schoo! Patience A. Crowder, Associate Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law Brandon Greene, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor, East Bay Community Law Center, UC Berkeley School of Law Robin Walker Sterling, Associate Professor, University of Denver Seurm College of Law ‘Thelma L. Harmon, Associate Professor “Thurgood Marshall School of Law ‘Medha D. Makhlouf, Clinical Professor of Law, Penn State Dickinson Law School Sincerely, Clinicians of Color Committee members (Title/Institution listed for identification purposes only): Seema N. Patel, Clinical Director, Kast Bay Community Law Center, UC Berkeley School of Law Dana Thompson, Clinical Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School Btienne Toussaint, Visiting Associate Professor of Clinical Law and Friedman Fellow, George Washington University Law Schoo! Carol M. Suzuki, Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law Suzette M, Melendez Director, Children’s Rights & Family Law Clinic, Syracuse University College of Law Jeena Shah, Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School Erika Wilson, Assistant Professor of Law, University of North Carolina School of LawDavid Baluarte, Associate Clinical Professor of Law, Washington and Lee University School of Law Mindy Phillips, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor, Fast Bay Community Law Center, UC Berkeley School of Law Lynnise Pantin, Clinical Associate Professor, Boston College Law School Ramzi Kassem, Professor of Law, City University of New York School of Law ‘Tarck Ismail, Senior Staff Attorney, CLEAR project, City University of New York School of Law Naz Ahmad, Staff Attorney, CLEAR project, City University of New York School of Law Vinuta Naik, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor, East Bay Community Law Center; UC Berkeley School of Law Helen Kang Director Eavironmental Law and Justice Clinic Golden Gate University School of Law Charles I. Auffant Clinical Professor of Law Rutgers University School of Law Randolph N. Stone Clinical Professor of Law University of Chicago Law Schoo! Jayesh Rathod Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law hire Raj, Assistant Professor of Law, University of South Carolina School of Law Anita Sinha, Assistant Professor of Law, American University, Washington College of Law ‘Tirien Steinbach, Executive Director, East Bay Community Law Center, UC Berkeley School of Law Derrick Howard, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning, Valparaiso University Law School Donna H. Lee, Professor & Interim Associate Dean of Clinical Programs, CUNY School of Law Vida B. Johnson Visiting Associate Professor of Law Georgetown Law ‘Meghan Gordon, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor, East Bay Community Law Center; UC Berkeley School of Law Eduardo R.C, Capulong Professor of Law University of Montana Ragini Shah Clinical Professor of Law Suffolk University Law School Catyn R. Mitchell-Munevat Clinical Professor New England Law| Boston Canwina Weng Clinical Professor of Law Indiana University Maurer School of LawAyesha Bell Hardaway Assistant Professor of Law Case Western Reserve University School of Law Karla McKanders Associate Professor of Law University of Tennessee, College of Law Alexis Karteron Assistant Professor of Law Rutgers Law School Theresa Zhen, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor; East Bay Community Law Center; UC Berkeley School of Law Michael Pinard Professor of Law University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Carl Warren, Visiting Professor University of St. Thomas School of Law Bryan Adamson Associate Professor of Law Seattle University School of Law Rosa Bay ‘Managing Director and Clinical Supervisor; East Bay Community Law Center; UC Berkeley School of Law Jon C. Dubin Professor of Law, Alfred C. Clapp Public Service Scholar, and Associate Dean of Clinical Education Rutgers Law School ‘Marisol Orihuela Visiting Clinical Associate Professor of Law Yale Law School Daniel Paessler, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor, East Bay Community Law Center; UC Berkeley School of Law Jaime Alison Lee Associate Professor University of Baltimore School of Law Fanna Gamal, Attorney and Clinical Supervisor; East Bay Community Law Center UC Berkeley School of Law Linda Tam, Director, Immigration Clinic East Bay Community Law Center; UC Berkeley School of Law Deborah N. Archer Professor of Law New York Law School Tracey McCants Lewis Assistant Professor Duquesne School of Law "Tiffany Sizemore“Thompson Assistant Clinical Professor Duquesne School of Law Komal Vaidya Clinical Teaching Fellow University of Baltimore School of Law Sunita Patel Practitioner in Residence American University, Washington College of Law Wilbert I, Watts, Jr Co-Director, Veteran Legal Services Program UCLA School of LawPriya Baskaran Associate Professor West Virginia University College of Law Jyoti Nanda Binder Clinical Teaching Fellow UCLA School of Law Gemma Solimene Clinical Associate Professor of Law Fordham University School of Law Bumi K. Lee Clinical Professor of Law UC Hastings College of the Law Enel. Ce: By Registered and Electronic Mail Paul Marcus, President, AALS Janet ‘Thompson Jackson Professor of Law ‘Washburn University School of Law Renée McDonald Hutchins Co-Director of the Clinical Law Program Jacob A. France Professor of Public Interest Law University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Llealie Green Coleman Associate Professor of Law American University Washington College of Law Judith Arcen, Executive Director & CKO, AALS