PALM BEACH – A disabled man alleges he was denied a hotel room because of his service dog.
Alexander Johnson filed a complaint on May 2 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Palm Beach Division against Island Hospitality Management II LLC, doing business as Stay Inn, alleging violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on July 10, 2015, he entered defendant’s Stay Inn Hotel in West Palm Beach and attempted to patronize it by checking into a room. While in the process of checking in, he alleges he was denied a room because he was accompanied by his service animal and staff would not let him reserve a room unless he had service dog papers. The plaintiff holds Island Hospitality Management II LLC responsible because the defendant allegedly oppressively failed to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities and their service animals, failed to maintain policies and procedures to ensure compliance with ADA and harassed and argued with him regarding a non-existent requirement.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks declaratory judgment stating that defendant’s practices, policies and procedures have subjected him to discrimination, ordering defendant to cease discriminating against disabled persons who use service animals, reasonable costs and attorney's fees and any and all other relief that may be necessary and appropriate. He is represented by Scott R. Dinin of Scott R. Dinin PA in Miami.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Palm Beach Division Case number 9:16-cv-80690