Hotel Owner Charged With Racism Toward Employees

The Virginia-born Whitten had spent 40 years in the hotel business, turning around more than 20 hotels in Texas, Oklahoma, Florida and South Carolina, before moving with his wife to Taos.

 

He's not breaking the law by requiring that they be able to speak English.

Forcing them to is a different matter however.

 

Actually Taos might be better characterized as a primarily hippie and artist town. It ain't your normal southwestern town. But, of course, that still applies your point about this redneck ex-marine Texan being a fish out of water there. He really should've bought his hotel in Amarillo instead.

 

I used to see this doofus and his wife on billboards along Interstate 20 near Abilene during my many treks between Lubbock and points east. If I recall, the billboards cheekily stated that Whitten was the owner and his wife was the "boss." I can somewhat see the point about him requesting English be spoken in his presence. But the name change bit is quite disturbing.

 

How did this guy think he'd get away with encouraging/ordering employees to change their names?