An Airbnb host who referenced President Trump when she told a woman she was canceling her reservation because she’s Asian was ordered to take a course in Asian American studies in addition to paying thousands in damages.
The California Department of Fair Employment demanded host Tami Barker pay $5,000 to Dyne Suh, who intended to spend a weekend at the woman’s Big Bear Lake cabin earlier this year, the Guardian reported.
“I wouldn’t rent to you if you were the last person on earth,” Barker said in text messages just minutes before Suh and her friends were set to arrive. “One Word says it all: Asian. It’s why we have Trump.”
Suh is a 26-year-old American citizen who emigrated from South Korea at the age 3. In a YouTube video she posted after the ordeal, she said America is the only country she considers “home.”
“I just so feel so hurt,” she said in the clip. “People thought: ‘Oh, with the election of President Obama racism is over in this country.’ No. It’s very much alive, it exists and can happen to anyone.”
Suh booked Barker’s place a month in advance for a long weekend with her fiancé in February at $250 at night and later followed up, asking if she could bring along a pair of friends and their two dogs. Barker gave them her approval, waiting until the last minute to cancel the reservation.
Suh reported the host to DFEH and Airbnb, which has since banned Barker from using its services.
In addition to paying the damages, Barker was required to take a college-level course in Asian American studies, must agree to comply with anti-discrimination laws, make a personal apology to Suh, participate in a community education panel and volunteer with a civil rights organization, according to the Guardian.
“We were thinking pretty creatively with this agreement,” Director of DFEH Kevin Kish told the outlet. “The law tends to be backwards-looking, focusing on compensating people for harm. We’re interested in remedies that repair harm and transform relationships.”
