Paralyzed man accuses Ohio hotel of discrimination

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man paralyzed from the waist down is suing a hotel, accusing management of discrimination for refusing to give him a room.

Shawn Pouliot says he sought a room at the Akron City Centre Hotel in December but was told by a desk clerk that he had been banned for life because he soiled linens during a previous stay.

The 39-year-old Pouliot says his colostomy pouch broke while he slept at the hotel in August, but he bagged the dirty linens and left the hotel nearly $500 to defray the costs.

Pouliot says he was shocked by the hotel’s response. He filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court seeking unspecified financial damages under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

A person who answered the phone at the hotel today said no one would comment on the lawsuit and hung up.