Jury says Muslim hotel owner discriminated

Jury says Muslim hotel owner discriminated

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — A jury says a Muslim hotel owner discriminated against a Jewish group during a Southern California poolside charity event.

The case was brought by Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, who had gathered two years ago at Santa Monica’s ocean-view Hotel Shangri-LA, which is owned by Tehmina Adaya, who is a Muslim of Pakistani descent.

The Los Angeles Times says hotel workers acting on Adaya’s orders told the group to remove literature and banners and to get out of the pool.

The jury determined Wednesday that the hotel and Adaya violated California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act, which bars hotels and other business from discriminating on the basis of sex, race, color or religion.

The jury awarded more than $1.2 million in damages. Punitive damages will be determined later.