South Dakota Hotel Owner Found Liable for Discriminating Against Native Americans: Historic Ruling

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A landmark verdict was handed down in a federal court in South Dakota, where the owner of the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City has been found liable for discriminating against Native Americans. The decision, reached by a jury on Friday, holds the hotel's owner responsible for denying service to various plaintiffs, including members of the NDN Collective, an Indigenous advocacy group. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 after the hotel's owner, Connie Uhre, posted on social media that she would ban Native Americans from the property following a fatal shooting involving two Native American teenagers. When the NDN Collective members attempted to book a room, they were turned away, sparking protests and condemnation from local leaders. The jury's verdict includes an award of $1 to the NDN Collective, as well as tens of thousands of dollars in damages to the plaintiffs. However, the hotel's owner was also awarded $812 in a countersuit against the NDN Collective, which the group had deemed a nuisance for its protests. This ruling marks a significant victory for the NDN Collective and the Indigenous community, which has long faced racial tensions in Rapid City. The city, a gateway to Mount Rushmore, has a significant Native American population, with at least 8% of its residents identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native. The hotel's owner, Connie Uhre, had previously been banned from managing the establishment for four years following a consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department in November 2023. Uhre had also publicly apologized for her actions. The verdict is seen as a step towards accountability and justice for the Native American community, which has been subjected to systemic racism and discrimination for far too long.