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Colorado hotel suspends workers after legendary comic Mark Curry accuses them of racial profiling

The comedian shared his experience in a series of Live videos on social media where he alleged the staff repeatedly questioned him.

Comedian Mark Curry recently accused employees at The Mining Exchange in Colorado Springs of racially profiling him. As a result, two employees have been suspended pending further investigation according to a report from NBC News.

Curry made the accusation in a 26-minute Instagram Live video, saying, “If you’re Black and you’re in Colorado Springs, you can’t be in the lobby,” Curry told his followers. “Wow! This is crazy, isn’t it?”

He said that he was continuously asked if he was a guest in the hotel as he was drinking coffee in the lobby. Curry asked one of the employees later in the video why he was not questioning white guests in the lobby. The employee said that they paid for drinks.

Later in the video, Curry went to the reception desk to complain and was asked for his information. “Do you have a room number of any sort? Can I have a last name? They just want to know if you’re a guest. That’s all,” the receptionist said.

In a statement, the hotel, a franchise of Wyndham Hotels, said, “We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive space for all guests and employees,” the statement continued. “We deeply regret this incident and have reached out to Mr. Curry to offer not only our sincere apologies but a full refund of his stay and an invitation to return, at no cost, anytime in the future. As a respected community partner, we are also using this opportunity to revisit training with our staff, helping to ensure all interactions are reflective of our company values.”

Curry was the star of the ABC sitcom, “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper,” from 1992 to 1997. His co-star Holly Robinson Peete reposted Curry’s video saying, “There was no reason for Mark to be singled out except for the fact that he’s a black man. Since when do you have to identify yourself sitting in the lobby drinking coffee."

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