Federal Jury Finds Grand Gateway Hotel Owner Liable for Native American Discrimination
A federal jury found the Grand Gateway Hotel owner liable for discriminating against Native Americans, ordering damages. This ruling follows a 2022 class-action lawsuit after a ban was announced.
Overview
A federal jury found the Grand Gateway Hotel owner in Rapid City, South Dakota, liable for discriminating against Native Americans, stemming from a March 2022 incident.
Owner Connie Uhre announced a ban on Native Americans from her property following a fatal shooting involving Native American teenagers, leading to denied hotel bookings.
This discriminatory action prompted a class-action civil rights lawsuit in 2022 by the NDN Collective and other plaintiffs, seeking damages for denied services.
The jury awarded damages to the plaintiffs for denied service, including a symbolic $1 to the NDN Collective, while also ruling their protests a nuisance.
This verdict follows a November 2023 U.S. Justice Department consent decree that banned Uhre from managing the hotel for four years and required a public apology.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources cover this story neutrally, presenting a balanced account of the federal jury's decision regarding the Grand Gateway Hotel. They detail the damages awarded for discrimination and the simultaneous ruling against the NDN Collective for nuisance. The reporting focuses on factual outcomes and provides context without employing loaded language or selective emphasis.