McClure Management, LLC v. Taylor

Erik Taylor and James Turner (plaintiffs) were Black professionals in the oil-and-gas industry who went to West Virginia to work on a pipeline. Taylor and Turner sought to stay at the McClure Hotel but were refused long-term accommodation. Taylor and Turner brought suit against the owner of the hotel, McClure Management, LLC (McClure) (defendant) and a hotel employee, Cindy Kay Adams (defendant), pursuant to the West Virginia Human Rights Act (WVHRA). The WVHRA forbade racial discrimination in places of public accommodation. At trial, Taylor testified that he called ahead to ask about the availability of long-term apartment rooms and was told by Adams that such rooms were available. However, when Taylor arrived, he testified, Adams told him that there was a waiting list for the rooms, leaving him with the option of paying higher overnight rates. Taylor further testified that White employees of the same oil company who were hired after him were given long-term rooms, supposedly because their names were higher on the waiting list. Taylor also stated that Adams made racially charged remarks and called his employer to complain about allegedly unpaid fees. Turner provided similar testimony of his experiences with the hotel. Adams admitted in her testimony that no waiting list existed. The jury found in favor of Taylor and Turner, awarding them each $475,000. McClure and Adams moved for judgment as a matter of law or a new trial. The circuit court entered an order denying the motion. McClure and Adams appealed to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.