experiencing Service Animal Discrimination: La Quinta Inn & Suites
Despite widespread knowledge of the hefty fines and tarnished reputation that can result from discrimination against a person with a disability who uses a service animal, I find myself often still appalled at the risks people take just to exert their perceive power over another person. This leads employees to attempt to uphold policies against service animal handlers when the policies themselves violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). An ADA violation can cost a company significant amounts in legal fees, fines, and settlements. Civil penalties for ADA violations can be up to $96,384 for a first violation and $192,768 for subsequent violations, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In addition, companies may face lawsuits, attorney fees, and reputational damage, leading to further financial losses.
Most recently, I noticed this happen while searching for a hotel room with La Quinta Inn & Suites throughout Baton Rouge, LA. While I don’t expect individuals to necessarily fully know each and every law or potential violation, I do expect their headquarters to be aware of their legal obligations and address any policies that may violate the rights of others in onboarding and training. Unfortunately, La Quinta Inn & Suites seems to have an internal policy that is directly in violation of the ADA and the rights of people with disabilities who use service animals.
My Experience
Usually when I travel I prefer four star or above hotels where I’m more likely to be treated with courtesy and am less likely to encounter employees who are on a power trip or are unfamiliar with basic laws. However, I find four star hotels to be a bit difficult to navigate with my service dog, Justice because they usually have one entrance in and out, have high traffic, and require multiple elevators or escalators to reach the outdoors. I find this to be challenging not because of anything my service dog does herself, but because people are constantly attempting to speak to my dog while she’s working, which distracts her from her service dog duties. On a recent stay in Austin, Texas when I politely attempted to redirect someone from speaking to Justice, despite the 8 patches on her vest, he and his girlfriend quickly became aggressive. In an effort to avoid interactions like this, I try to stay at 2 or 3 star hotels when I have my service dog and reserve the four or five stars for times when Justice is not with me. I stayed at a four star hotel without Justice and had a pleasant stay the day before the experience I’ll discuss in this article. However, upon picking her up and heading back home on our 12 hour trek, we opted to find a 2 or 3 star hotel where we could easily find our way outside to allow Justice to use the bathroom. At this point it was pretty late in the evening so we would only be staying a few hours. Our research showed several La Quinta Inn & Suites options as the best overall options as they were some of the only hotels with easy parking and above a 4.2 star rating.
The First Red Flag: Service Dog Discrimination
By this point we had been driving around 8-10 hours with stops and only wanted to rest a few hours before taking on the final 4-5 hours. The first La Quinta Inn & Suites that caught my eye seemed perfect. Overall the reviews were good, boasting clean and renovated rooms and breakfast. However, as I scrolled the reviews, a complaint caught my eye where a service dog handler stated they experienced discrimination and were asked for documentation for their service dog. As the Americans with Disabilities Act strictly prohibits businesses from asking unnecessary information beyond the two legal questions, this can be considered discrimination and the person who wrote the review felt they were discriminated against.
Screenshot of Google review where a La Quinta guest says they experienced discrimination
It was actually the owner/manager’s response that bothered me more than the original review:
In the manager’s response, they were convicted that they were right in their discriminatory check-in process. They clarified that they requested the information about the service dog for safety purposes in the event the service dog attacked one of their housekeeping staff. Unfortunately, I’ve also been subjected to this same perspective of dogs with my service dog where people take unnecessary and illegal precautions expecting that my service dog would potentially harm someone instead of seeing them as necessary medical equipment for my condition. (In fact, every time I’ve stayed in Louisiana I’ve experienced some form of discrimination with the same logic and behavior presented: The management felt they needed to protect their staff from my service animal at the expense of my human rights and dignity). I agreed with the review-writer that this was discriminatory treatment and opted not to stay at this hotel to avoid potential discrimination as I too, was traveling with a service dog.
The mistake we made was not opting out of La Quinta Inn & Suites altogether. We chose a different location of the same hotel expecting that perhaps other management would have more familiarity with the ADA Laws pertaining to service animals in public accommodations. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Discrimination Example #1: Request for Service Dog “Paperwork” at Check-In
Upon checking in at a different location, we also encountered discrimination upon checking in at another La Quinta Inn & Suites on the other side of town from this one. Upon checking in, we were asked for paperwork for my service dog.
Why This Is Wrong:
Under the ADA, staff are only allowed to ask two questions: whether the dog is a service animal required due to a disability and what tasks it is trained to perform. Demanding documentation or proof of a service dog’s status is a violation of ADA guidelines.
Upon declining to provide the “paperwork,” we were then assigned to the first floor. (By the way: There’s no such thing as paperwork for a service animal. The only paperwork that exists would be a doctor’s note which a hotel would not be able to request).
Discrimination Example #2: “All Dogs” Go on the First Floor
We then asked if there was a particular reason we were assigned to the first floor and received the response, “It’s because of the dog. All dogs go on the first floor.”
Why This Is Wrong:
Discrimination doesn’t always show up in the form of denial of service or overt mistreatment. Sometimes, it looks like policies that lump everyone with animals together, whether they’re bringing a pet or have a service animal that assists with a disability. In this case, the hotel’s policy essentially treated Justice as a pet, which contradicts the rights outlined by the ADA.
Under the ADA, businesses must make accommodations for people with disabilities, ensuring they receive the same access and services as any other customer. By assigning all service animal users to one floor, La Quinta effectively made an assumption about my needs, rather than asking if I had a preference or if staying on the first floor would be appropriate for me.
The first floor policy may seem benign, but it’s rooted in the same flawed logic that leads to other forms of segregation or exclusion. It sends a message that guests with service animals are different, need to be kept separate, and can be treated in the same manner as guests with pets—two very different situations.
What You Can Do if You Experience Discrimination at a Hotel Because of Your Service Dog
The next day, I spoke with the next front desk clerk on duty and confirmed with him the number of floors in the building and the reason why we were assigned to the first floor. I then filed a complaint with the Louisiana Commission for Human Civil Rights and detailed the discrimination I faced because of my disability. Currently, I’m waiting to hear back from them.
If you have a disability and experience discrimination, you too can file a formal complaint. Depending on which entity your complaint is with, in many cases, they will support you if you wish to file a lawsuit.
Some additional options for actions you can take following discrimination at a hotel or other public accommodations:
Stay Calm and Educate
This option isn’t always accessible to everyone all the time and that’s okay, always do what’s best for you. But if you have the capacity and ability, and believe the person will be receptive, consider taking the time to educate the person who is perpetuating what you consider to be disability discrimination. Politely explain that, under the ADA, service dogs are not considered pets and are allowed anywhere the public is permitted. Staff can only ask if the dog is a service animal required for a disability and what tasks it is trained to perform. In my experience, some times this is enough and other times it worsen the situation so use your better judgment.
Request to Speak to a Manager
If the staff member is uncooperative, ask to speak with a manager. Sometimes, but not always, higher-level staff may be more familiar with ADA regulations and can resolve the issue.
Document the Incident
Take notes about the incident, including names, dates, and details of what happened. If possible, gather witnesses or record the conversation to document any discriminatory practices.
File a Complaint with the Hotel’s Corporate Office
Submit a formal complaint to the hotel’s corporate office, explaining the ADA violation and requesting corrective action. In most cases, professionals at the corporate level are usually more well-versed in ADA laws or they at least understand the gravity of a potential violation or lawsuit.
File an ADA Complaint
If the issue is unresolved, file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, which enforces ADA compliance. You can do this online, by mail, or by phone.
Contact an ADA Lawyer
You can contact a lawyer who specializes in disability rights or ADA violations. A lawyer can help assess the situation, advise on legal options, and potentially file a lawsuit if the hotel fails to comply with the ADA. Legal action may result in compensation for damages and ensure the business is held accountable for its discriminatory practices. It can also offer you relief for the damages that you must encounter when hotels have discriminatory practices and policies.
Leave a Public Review
Sharing your experience on review platforms like Google or TripAdvisor can raise awareness and encourage the business to address its discriminatory practices. Furthermore, it can help other members of the service animal community to potentially avoid a discriminatory and humiliating experience.
Contact The Pit Bull Doctor
If you need support understanding your rights, filing a complaint or seeking resources following a discriminatory experience, contact The Pit Bull Doctor, we’d be happy to help. The Pit Bull Doctor specializes in the social and behavior issues experienced by pit bull owners. For situations such as experiencing discrimination at a hotel because of your service dog, we offer public access training where we offer support to service animal handlers who have been wrongfully denied public access and can support you.
