Indian-American businessman faces racial profiling in Missouri hotel

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An Indian American businessman, Ahmed Dharani, told the Kansas City Star that he was racially discriminated by a hotel security guard at hotel Crowne Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The incident which Dharani caught on his phone, shows a security guard challenging him because of his Muslim name. The guard has since been fired by the hotel, according to a spokesperson quoted in the Kansas City Star.

According to the Kansas City Star report, Dharani came to the hotel at 1.45 a.m. after a 12-hour drive from his home in Birmingham to attend a three-day conference in Kansas City.

Earlier that day, one of his business partners told the reception desk that Dharani would arrive late and he left a key for him with the reception staff, which Dharani was aware of.

However, when Dharani arrived at the hotel, the computer system was down and they were not able to check him in even though his room key was already with the reception staff.

At the same time, a security guard noticed what was going on and came to Dharani asking for his name.

“You are stupid. If you like, take your gun and shoot me. Because your name is Ahmed, take your gun and shoot me,” the security guard shouted repeatedly in a video that was taken on Dharani’s phone.

Dharani checked out of the hotel the next morning and met the services manager to complain about the incident he had faced the night before.

“The hotel would never act that way to a guest, we don’t need that kind of representation on our property,” Carissa Giliam, the hotel manager, is quoted saying in the news report,  after she fired the security guard.

“This was just not right. If they are treating me, speaking proper English, what happens to people that cannot speak proper English? What happens to people that do not look the part?” Dharani told the Kansas City Star.