Racist Fined $5,000 Fine For Canceling Airbnb Reservation

California officials fined an Airbnb host $5,000 plus other penalties for canceling a reservation because of her guest’s race, CBS News reports.

“One word says it all. Asian,” Tami Barker wrote in a text message to Dyne Suh, who was traveling to Barker’s cabin in Big Bear, California for a ski trip in February. Barker is one of many examples of racist hosts who Airbnb is trying to remove from its network.

The woman who canceled Dyne Suh's Airbnb reservation with racist remarks agreed to pay a fine and take a class. https://t.co/RAJYHnOP53

— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) July 14, 2017

According to CBS News, Barker canceled the reservation over a dispute about Suh bringing additional guests. Suh, however, presented evidence to Barker that she agreed to the additional guests when she made the reservation.

Barker apparently started the dispute after discovering Suh’s race. When Suh vowed to notify Airbnb, Barker responded, “It’s why we have Trump … I will not allow this country to be told what to do by foreigners.”

In addition to the fine, California’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing said Barker agreed to take an Asian-American studies course, apologize to Suh and volunteer at a civil rights organization, the Business Insider reported.

Barker’s attorney said his client was “regretful for her impetuous actions and comments,” according to the Associated Press.

Suh hopes this outcome encourages discrimination victims not to suffer in silence, and she’s pleased that officials included in the settlement a requirement for Barker to learn about Asian-American history, Suh said in a statement posted to Facebook.

She added:

“Asian Americans are often left out of conversations about race relations, even though we are also targets of racism and discrimination. The more we speak out, the harder it becomes for people to ignore, deny, or trivialize our lived experiences of being discriminated against like this day-to-day.”

According to The Business Insider, Barker is permanently barred from Airbnb.

SOURCE: CBS News, Associated Press, Business Insider

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