Two employees at the Colorado Wyndham Hotel who were accused of racially profiling comedian Mark Curry have been suspended.
The two employees, seen in a 26-minute video shared by Curry on his Instagram account on Friday, have been suspended pending a full investigation, said a spokeswoman for The Mining Exchange in Colorado Springs, a subsidiary of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Is a franchisee.
“We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all guests and employees,” it initially said in a statement Provided to NBC News, “We deeply regret this incident and have reached out to Mr. Curry to not only offer our sincere apologies, but a full refund of his stay and an invitation to return anytime in the future, at no cost. As a respected community partner, we are taking this opportunity to revisit training with our employees, helping to ensure that all interactions reflect our company values.
In Curry’s video, an employee, who was white, demanded to see proof that Curry—who was drinking coffee in the lobby—was a guest at the hotel. Curry, who continued to record while two employees hovered over him, said, “If you’re black and you’re in Colorado Springs, you can’t be in the lobby,” he said. “Well done! It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
The first employee, identified as hotel security, denied in the video harassing Curry because he was black.
Several of his “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” castmates rallied to his defense on social media, including Holly Robinson Peet and Raven Symone.
Pete tweeted, “There was no reason for Mark to be singled out other than the fact that he is a black man.” “Since when do you have to identify yourself while sitting in the lobby drinking coffee?”
Simone wrote on Instagram, “Shameful! Totally disgusting! Love you, Mark! No one deserves this!”
