Airbnb banned a Charlotte, North Carolina–based host after he rejected a black woman who had booked a room with him — and then inundated her with racist messages.
“I hate n – – – – rs, so I’m going to cancel you,” the host wrote, according to screengrabs posted on Twitter on May 31. “This is the south darling. Find another place to rest your n – – – – – r head.”
The woman who received the hateful messages graduated from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Her classmate Shani C. Taylor tweeted the conversation.
“I thought it was a joke at first, a sick one at that. So I had to read through it a couple of times. Then I just cried,” the woman — who wishes to remain anonymous — revealed in an interview on a friend’s blog. “I guess I was overwhelmed with the thought of what could have happened if I moved in without him finding out I was black? Would he have assaulted me physically or verbally etc? I just didn’t feel safe anymore.”
My friend and classmate here at Kellogg had a hateful and racist encounter with an @Airbnb host. pic.twitter.com/rFHlwqy5sQ
— Shani C. Taylor (@shanictaylor) May 31, 2016
An Airbnb spokesman told USA Today in a statement: “We were horrified when we read these messages. The language and conduct are unacceptable and violate both our policies and everything we believe in. This host has been removed from Airbnb and we’ve reached out to the guest to offer our full and complete support, including ensuring the guest has a safe place to stay.”
The company’s CEO, Brian Chesky, responded via Twitter: “The incident in NC was disturbing and unacceptable. Racism and discrimination have no place on Airbnb. We have permanently banned the host.”
