Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.

Starwood ordered to pay $3m for spying on employee

by Melanie Nayer (RSS feed) on Mar 17th 2010 at 3:00PM

File this under: What were they thinking?!?

Starwood Hotels and Resorts was found guilty of spying on a New York employee and has been ordered to pay $3 million in damages.

Apparently, the hotel set up a hidden camera to watch 46-year-old Moises Mendez, a baker at the Westin Hotel at Times Square, following repeated complaints from Mendez that he was being discriminated by the hotel.

Seems the only way the hotel's HR department could be certain the claims were legitimate was to install a hidden camera near Mendez's workstation in the kitchen and watch him. When Mendez found out what was going on, the situation took a turn for the worse.

After a month-long process, a jury found Starwood guilty of unlawful retaliation and ordered the hotel to pay Mendez $1 million for his emotional distress, pain and suffering, and $2 million in punitive damages. After all that, Mendez said in a statement: "I look forward to going back to work today."

Gallery: Top Ten Strangest Hotel Guest Requests

Be sure to check out Episode 5 of Travel Talk TV, which features a Santa Cruz beach adventure; explains why Scottish money is no good; shows how to cook brats the German way; and offers international dating tips!

Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

laughin@aloser Mar 18th 2010 8:42PM

a loser tryin to get money by boo hoo im being discriminated same line differnt idiot loser

Babygirl Mar 18th 2010 9:42PM

Would all this racist bulls#*t be spread, like hot butter on bread, if the person that won the judgment was WHITE? True, the kitchen belonged to the hotel but would you feel hje same way if you had a room in this hotel and found out that an employee was spying on you, by hidden camera. Would your response be: "no problem, the room belongs to the hotel."

kj Mar 18th 2010 11:46PM

Apples and Oranges!

All-American Girl Mar 19th 2010 4:52AM

Sad, isn't it? That these people are so angry and filled with hatred that they can't even read a news article and comment on the merits of the case with a shred of intelligence.

nestmission Mar 18th 2010 9:47PM

I must be missing something in this article. This guy was awarded 3M for his employer syping on him because he was complaining he was being mistreated. This is the oddest thing I have ever heard about......was the judge also Mexican?

All-American Girl Mar 19th 2010 5:00AM

You're such an idiot. The judge doesn't decide the verdict, the jury does. I'm sure you just wanted to add your racist comment and as all racists are prone to do, you revealed your ignorance. It must be horrible to live each and every day of your life filled with hatred and anger. I pity you.

glenn Mar 18th 2010 10:30PM

for that money, they could put a camera in the bathroom that I would use (LOL)

SunnyHawaii Mar 18th 2010 10:32PM

Bad journalism, they edited it everything down to it left readers wondering WTF. I did a search and came up with this as a second hit:
Case Number: 2008 CV 04967

Judge: Colleen McMahon

Court: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, New York County

Plaintiff's Attorney: Ken Thompson and Ariel Graff, Thompson Wigdor & Gilly, L.L.P., New York, New York

Defendant's Attorney: Michael Starr, Hogan & Hartson, L.L.P., New York, New York and Loren Forrest, Holland & Knight, L.L.P., New York, New York

Description: Moises Mendez sued the owner of the Westin Times Square Hotel on a hostile workplace theory claiming that he was taunted and physically abused at work and abused. He claimed that he was mocked for stomach scars and his ethnicity.

He also claimed that when he complained his employer installed a hidden camera over his work station. The union NEVER approved the installation of the hidden camera in the kitchen.

He still works at the hotel and plans to show up to work today, his lawyer Ken Thompson said.

Defendant claimed the camera was supposed to protect Mendez from harassment and was approved by his union but later claimed the camera was removed when the union failed to signed-off on the camera.

phil Mar 18th 2010 11:20PM

Thank you Sunny. I now understand the story.
Let's see. Worker/Union wins...Hotel loses. No prob. Hotel will simply contest the payout and get a better mouthpiece and a better judge this next go round. Seems as though the hotel needs to fire a few, in house, salaried lawyers, and go find some high paid talent to teach their H.R. department. (this is a Union labor force...not po-dunk "farm-ville" with a minimum wage employee.) This incident was preventable.

michelle Mar 18th 2010 10:35PM

The story is vague. Not much given as to why the employer felt it necessary to take such actions or as to why the employee felt discrimated.

Robert Mar 18th 2010 10:40PM

You know the people assuming that this guy is Mexican simply because he has a Hispanic surname are really stupid. My name is Gonzales and I'm a fifth generation American. I don't know anyone in Mexico nor do I have relatives there. My family was is America before there was even an America and long before the English surnamed immagrants came here and bastardized the country.

The River Rat Mar 18th 2010 10:39PM

This is one of the many things wrong in the United States today. The only other way this bum, mendez could have ever gotten $3 million in his life would have been to rob an armored car. This is the rediculeness, if that's a word, of the legal system in this country. This is why attorneys and judges rate lower than politicials, used car salesmen and SEIU members, which is REALLY hard to do.

RM Mar 19th 2010 12:22AM

I WORK FOR IN HOME HEALTH SERVICES AND THE SEIU UNION CHARGED ME $30.99 A MONTH FOR THE DUES. THAT IS ROBBERY. THEY AND OBAMA ARE IN BED TOGETHER AND ALL MY DUES WENT TO THEM TO GIVE TO THIS TWO BIT WANNA BE PRESIDENT. THE KEEP SENDING ME PROPAGANDA FOR THEIR UNION AND THE "GOOD' IT'S DOING AND I REPLY BACK TO STOP AND GIVE THEM ALL THE REASONS WHY. THEY AND OBAMA ARE ONE OF A KIND.

mike Mar 18th 2010 10:47PM

Americans can't understand why companies go over seas. Who want to hire americnas when all they do is sue companies.

Brian Mar 18th 2010 11:00PM

Well I have worked for every dollar I got in my 40 years of working and it's still not enough to catch up on bills. I guess I have been doing it all wrong.

bobbie Mar 18th 2010 11:32PM

Westin must have had a good reason and has every right to know what their employees are doing as they are responsible for their activities.

Dana Mar 19th 2010 12:03AM

Ridiculous from every angle. HR should have gotten Mr. Mendez's agreement to place the camera to help prove his claims. It was, after all, to help investigate his claim of discrimination. Although this is a pretty sophomoric was to investigate. Had they gotten his authorization, no problem. I trust Starwood fired their execs involved in this scheme. For a judge to award $3 mil is absolutely insane!

Paul Mar 19th 2010 12:34AM

This shows how our judicial system is being abused,misused and corrupted by judges and lawyers who will do anything to fatten their wallets. Making rediculous judgements and awarding so much money for something so trivial,after all it was a workplace not a bedroom. insanity prevails.

Betty Mar 19th 2010 12:37AM

Gonzales----no matter if you are 10th generation of whatever country, you are forever whatever your ethnicity. You are the stupid one, & indeed your surname & Mendes
or Mendez is MEXICAN!!!! Shame on you if you`re ashamed of that fact!!