Pasadena Westin Hotel under Fire after Facebook Post of Alleged Racist Incident

Scores of activists protest outside the hotel Monday night; Westin Hotel does damage control

By Terry Miller

In incident involving an African-America woman and her daughter who experienced “blatant racism” in Pasadena has gone viral and garnered the attention of international media.

The incident, posted on Facebook, depicts a white man posing as a health inspector who asked the mother and daughter if they had showered before using a pool at The Westin Hotel Pasadena last Monday. Thus far, there have been four million views of that Facebook post.

Carle Wheeler posted a video of the incident on Facebook on Wednesday, claiming she and her daughter were at the hotel pool when they were approached by a white male adult. The man claimed to be a “health inspector” who asked them if they had showered before entering the swimming pool.

Read Related: Alleged Incident of Racism at Pasadena Westin Hotel Garners International Attention

“The man asked if me and my little girl had showered before getting into the pool because people carry diseases into the pools and he doesn’t want the health department to shut the pool down,” Wheeler wrote.

In the video, hotel staff and Wheeler are seen confronting the man.

“I simply asked them if they’d showered. I’m sorry,” the unidentified man says in the video.

He says that he asked Wheeler and her daughter if they showered because it was part of the “rules” and he was “tired of getting in pools people consider baths.” Wheeler made the point that he did not ask anyone else at the pool if they had showered.

“Google it! Google the diseases in pools,” the man said.

We also contacted the corporate offices for comment. As of deadline, no one returned our calls or emails. However, the following statement from a Hotel spokesperson was emailed to Pasadena Independent Tuesday, June 19:

“The Westin Pasadena sincerely apologizes for the incident that took place at our pool last week. We strive to create an environment that is always welcoming and respectful to every guest.  In this instance, a man, who was not a hotel employee, made extremely inappropriate remarks to a guest family that was enjoying our pool.  We categorically abhor the remarks made and in no way condone or support what was said.  Westin has apologized directly to the guest who was on the receiving end of these offensive remarks. We are continuing to review this incident against our commitment to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for our guests.” 

On Monday evening, a protest took place outside the hotel. The activists demand General Manager, Carl Sprayberry’s resignation for “failure to act and also requested that company strengthen its anti-racist guest policies.” Sprayberry says he did his best to diffuse the mounting tensions between the two parties.

Pasadena Independent spoke with Westin General Manager, Carl Sprayberry, on the telephone Tuesday afternoon. Sprayberry said he tried to diffuse the rapidly escalating tensions last Monday by NOT calling the police, and handling it internally. We asked the General Manager about local activists’ calls for his resignation. “I don’t react to any critics. My position is each person has the right to his/her opinion.”

Sprayberry told Pasadena Independent that the man who started trouble initially was not a registered guest at the hotel, but did in fact have a key to one of the rooms.

Sprayberry said the hotel and executives at Marriott are actively seeking to identify the individual depicted in the Facebook post but as of late Tuesday afternoon, they have been unable to do so.

Activist group Pasadenans and Altadenans Against Police Violence (Pasa-Alta) protested outside the Westin Pasadena on Monday to demand that General Manager Carl Sprayberry resign for his “appalling handling of the racist incident on Monday, June 11, in which a Caucasian man was caught on video harassing African-American patron Carle Wheeler and her daughter at the hotel.”

The Caucasian harasser allegedly posed as a health inspector and asked Wheeler and her daughter if they had showered before getting in the hotel pool; according to Wheeler, he did not ask this of any of the white patrons using the facilities. When General Manager Carl Sprayberry arrived on the scene, he threatened to call the police if both parties didn’t end the disturbance and allowed the harasser to leave without identifying him or requiring him to vacate the premises. The Pasadena Health Department has stated they do not recognize the man from the video and that no health inspectors were at the Westin that day. “Mr. Sprayberry’s actions are unacceptable; he must resign or be removed from his position. This is not the first time an incident of this nature has occurred at the Pasadena Westin,” the activist stated without referencing the alleged other incidents.

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