An Airbnb host who described his Atlanta-area property as being in a 'peaceful white neighborhood' is facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly cancelling a booking from a Black guest upon learning her race. The lawsuit, filed in Atlanta federal court, claims that host George Yu Shihfang and Airbnb violated civil rights laws.
Sharona Stewart, a woman in her mid-30s, booked a six-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Dunwoody, Georgia, for a long-term stay. Initial communications with Shihfang, an Airbnb 'superhost,' were cordial, according to the complaint. However, after Shihfang asked 'racially based questions' and realised Stewart was a person of colour, he stopped responding and cancelled her reservation.
Stewart reported the incident to Airbnb, highlighting the 'racially preferential language' in the listing. The complaint alleges that Airbnb 'closed [her] complaint, refused to take action, and allowed the discriminatory advertisement to remain.' An Airbnb spokesperson later said the company removed the host from the platform, stating, 'Discrimination has no place on Airbnb.'
Stewart's attorney, Bataski Bailey, described the treatment as 'grotesque' and criticised Airbnb for not using tools like AI to prevent discrimination. 'We have to call it out when we see it, and the only thing we can do at this moment is file a lawsuit and hold them accountable,' he said. Shihfang could not be reached for comment.
The lawsuit names Shihfang, two unnamed property managers, and Airbnb as defendants, alleging intentional discrimination and violation of civil rights. A 2015 Harvard Business School study found that guests with African-American-sounding names were less likely to be accepted by hosts on the platform.
