Choice Hotels is facing a lawsuit filed against them on behalf of an alleged victim of sex trafficking that she claims occurred on company properties, including a Brockton Rodeway Inn, from 2016 to 2018, according to court documents.
The lawsuit was filed by Keches Law Group, representing the victim, last week in Massachusetts U.S. District Court.
The female victim, identified as “I.W.” in the complaint, was allegedly in an abusive relationship for three years and trafficked in hotels owned by Choice Hotels — and forced to engage in sex with strangers daily, the complaint reads.
“The hotel industry has long been aware of sex trafficking occurring on their properties and have chosen to profit off the venture rather than put in place reasonable measures to protect individuals and the community,” Keches attorney Michael Glennon said in a statement.
The woman’s life allegedly became controlled by the traffickers, who she claimed forced her onto Choice Hotels properties where she was “repeatedly raped” and “under the threat and infliction of physical and psychological abuse,” according to the complaint.
She was allegedly subjected to verbal and physical abuse at the Rodeway Inn on multiple occasions, claiming no members of the hotel staff probed into the matter or called law enforcement.
She had also allegedly asked front desk employees for new room keys to prevent her trafficker from re-entering the room. Upon his return to the room, the trafficker allegedly “openly and obviously broke in through a ground floor window,” an incident she claims the hotel did not intervene, according to the complaint.
The complaint states that the woman was sexually abused more than 50 times at the Indianapolis Rodeway Inn outside of her alleged sexual exploitation in Brockton.
The complaint also states that Choice should have known the trafficking was occurring from “consistent red flags” that allegedly include signs of illegal drug use, an unusually large amount of condoms in the trash, large number of male visitors entering and exiting the room, and paying and extending for stays in cash, among others.
A media relations representative from Choice told the Herald they do not comment on ongoing litigation, but outlined several ways company employees are instructed to address these types of alleged instances.
“Choice Hotels condemns human trafficking in all forms, and we are committed to helping our franchised hotels create a safe environment for their staff and guests,” the representative said in an email. “Among other initiatives, we provide free trainings and resources so hotel owners can educate themselves and their staff on how to spot and respond to situations such as human trafficking.”
International Labour Organization statistics estimate that the sex trafficking industry pulls in around $99 billion every year.
