The Marlborough Hotel in Newtown has issued an apology today after security staff refused entry to a 21-year-old, mistakenly believing her to be intoxicated.
In a Facebook post, venue management said that they had ruined the woman’s 21st birthday by refusing her entry early on Sunday morning:
We screwed up.
Early Sunday morning we refused entry to a young lady as we believed she was intoxicated. Reality was she had cerebral palsy. And it was her 21st birthday. And we ruined her night.
We apologise to the young lady, her friends and family. Unreservedly. We apologise for the humiliation and distress that we have caused.
The venue’s Facebook page was flooded with negative reviews from the woman’s friends and family, with some claiming that the woman was taunted by security staff:
My friends beautiful and inspiring daughter was refused entry on the night of her 21st birthday. She suffers from cerebral palsy. Disgraceful and discriminating behaviour by your door staff. She was belittled and laughed at. Shameful!
Another said that the woman attempted to explain her condition but that security staff “just laughed and sent her away“.
Management at the Marlborough Hotel told the Sydney Morning Herald that the security staff involved had been terminated following the incident, and, in the apology, said that their entire team would receive “intensive anti-discrimination training“.
