Key facts
- Sharona Stewart is suing Airbnb and host George Yu Shihfang for alleged racial discrimination.
- Stewart claims the host asked racially based questions and rejected her booking after learning she was Black.
A Black woman is suing Airbnb and a host for alleged racial discrimination after her booking request was rejected. The lawsuit claims the host asked racially based questions and that Airbnb failed to act on her complaint.
This lawsuit highlights ongoing concerns about racial discrimination on short-term rental platforms and Airbnb's responsibility in addressing such issues reported by users.
Sharona Stewart has filed a federal lawsuit in Georgia against Airbnb host George Yu Shihfang and unnamed property managers, alleging racial discrimination. Stewart claims that after initial cordial messages, Shihfang asked 'racially based questions' and ceased responding once he determined she was a Black woman, ultimately rejecting her reservation request for a six-bedroom property. The lawsuit also alleges that Stewart found language in the listing describing the area as a 'peaceful white neighborhood' and that Airbnb closed her complaint regarding this and the rejected booking without action, allowing the advertisement to remain. Stewart's attorney stated the case aims to challenge racial discrimination on the platform. This incident echoes findings from a 2015 Harvard Business School study, which indicated that guests with African-American-sounding names faced a nearly 10% higher rejection rate for bookings on Airbnb, contributing to prior calls for enhanced safeguards.
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