Red Roof Inn settles with victims in historic sex trafficking case, lawyer says
ATLANTA - After three weeks in court, the nation’s first sex trafficking trial against a national brand has concluded with a settlement.
The case, led by Pat McDonough of Andersen, Tate & Carr and co-lead counsel Tiana Mykkeltvedt of Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore, involved 11 plaintiff survivors suing Red Roof Inn, Inc. The lawsuit alleged that the corporation had direct knowledge of prostitution and trafficking at two of its Atlanta locations between 2009 and 2018.
The survivors, who waited nearly five years to bring Red Roof Inns, Inc. to trial, bravely shared their experiences of being trafficked.
"Every one of our clients is thrilled with the settlement. Our clients wanted their stories to be heard in a public forum," stated Pat McDonough, lead counsel. "Because they had the courage to do this, they hope it will spur institutional change in the hospitality industry. These big brands will realize they can be held accountable for awful things that happen at their hotels and that training and policy-level changes need to take place to prevent this from happening to other victims in the future."
The case focused on sex trafficking and prostitution that was prevalent at specific Smyrna and Buckhead Red Roof Inn properties, according to the law firm.
Publicly available documents revealed that the sex trafficking and prostitution at these locations were "visible and frequent."
The trial also highlighted the involvement of multiple hotel employees who actively assisted traffickers or ignored the situation to maximize revenue from room bookings associated with sex trafficking.
Testimonies from Red Roof Inn corporate employees admitted awareness of minor sex trafficking occurring at the hotels for years.
"The details of this case were heartbreaking and devastating," continued McDonough. "Red Roof Inn not only knew about the problem but profited from it. We hope this trial can serve as an example to other hotels that you can and will be held accountable for what happens on your property. We commend the survivors in this case for seeing it through. Their actions will make a significant difference."
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