Adam's Mark Suit Stirs Sharp Debate

Washington — A lawsuit filed against the Adam's Mark hotel chain by the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging widespread racial discrimination against black guests, has sparked a range of reactions among meeting planners.

While some indicated that the suit would have little or no impact on their site selection, other planners asserted that the allegations and accompanying bad publicity would prompt them to shy away from booking events at the 21-property chain.

In fact, a pair of meetings already have been cancelled in the wake of the suit.

Adam's Mark, for its part, vigorously disputes the charges and is urging meeting planners to carefully consider all the facts before letting the suit influence their site selection decisions.

"There's no question that a lot of meeting planners are concerned," said Fred Kummer, the CEO of the privately held hotel chain. "But we've found a solid reception from meeting planners to our explanation, and most are willing to wait and find out the resolution to this matter."

Two groups, both attached to the federal government, felt they couldn't delay their decisions to cancel.

The National Park Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management cancelled contracts for meetings this year at Adam's Mark properties in St. Louis and Denver following the December announcement of the DOJ complaint.

"We understand that Adam's Mark is innocent until proven guilty," said David Barna, a spokesman for the Park Service. "But one of the conference's major issues will be ways to make our park visits more ethnically diverse. To have a cloud of suspicion hanging over us, by meeting at the Adam's Mark, would make us nervous."

Adam's Mark has claimed the park service owes it $96,000 in cancellation damages, and the matter has been turned over to NPS attorneys for consideration, according to Barna. He said the five-day conference, which is expected to draw upwards of 1,200 people, has been moved to the Regal Renaissance, also in St Louis.

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) meeting, an annual symposium on labor relations expected to draw about 1,000 attendees, was scheduled for early March. But OPM director Janice Lachance ordered the symposium pulled from the Adam's Mark Denver.

"In fulfilling OPM's commitment as a 'model employer,' I cannot ignore these troubling allegations that offend the sensibilities of all Americans," Lachance said.

In addition to the two cancellations, the National Bar Association, whose members are black lawyers, eliminated the Dallas Adam's Mark from consideration for its 2001 annual meeting, said John Crump, NBA executive