Two employees of a Colorado Wyndham hotel who were accused by comedian Mark Curry of racially profiling him have been suspended.
Both 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 spokesperson for The Mining Exchange in Colorado Springs, which is a franchise of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
“We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all guests and employees,” said a statement, initially provided to NBC News. “We deeply regret this incident and have reached out to Mr. Curry to offer not only our sincere apologies but a full refund of his stay and an invitation to return, at no cost, anytime in the future. As a respected community partner, we are also using this opportunity to revisit training with our staff, helping to ensure all interactions are reflective of our company values.”
In Curry’s video, an employee, who was white, had 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 near him, said, “If you’re Black and you’re in Colorado Springs, you can’t be in the lobby,” he said. “Wow! This is crazy, isn’t it?”
The first staffer, who was identified as the hotel security, denied in the video that was harassing Curry because he was Black.
Several of his “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” cast mates rallied to his defense on social media, including Holly Robinson Peete and Raven Symoné.
“There was no reason for Mark to be singled out except for the fact that he’s a black man,” Peete tweeted. “Since when do you have to identify yourself sitting in the lobby drinking coffee?”
Symoné wrote on Instagram, “Shameful! Absolutely disgusting! Love you, Mark! No one deserves this!”
