Celebration canceled at Denver hotel, those told to break up the party concerned they were racially targeted

A night that started out as a celebration of Black excellence on Wednesday, came to an abrupt end, after guests said they were racially profiled by staff at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.

Last week during the National Association of School Psychologists annual convention, the president of the organization, Dr. Celeste Malone, hosted a reception in the hotel's presidential suite for colleagues, close friends and family. This is customary for the group, and is what the suite is designed to accommodate. But around 9:30 p.m., things changed.

"It felt rather dehumanizing, it felt embarrassing," Malone told CBS News Colorado. "Security came to my suite, asked if I was the person whose name was on the reservation, which I was, they said there has been several noise complaints, and that everyone needed to leave, and that they would stay there in the room until everyone left."

Malone said she and the group were racially profiled by staff, being that "quiet hours" at the hotel didn't start for 30 more minutes, they weren't playing any music, and they had received no prior warnings, despite hotel policy requiring at least one, usually two, warnings before any action is taken. Malone said the number of guests in the room was also fewer than the hotel occupancy limit. She was also demanded to provide her ID.

"I was hurt, I was angry, I was disappointed, because this was a space I was intentionally creating for my students and other Black school psychologists," said Malone. "I do not believe that this would have happened if it were a predominantly white crowd."

Malone is only the second Black person to ever become president of the NASP, which is why this celebration was so special to her and her colleagues. And while Malone's guests immediately did what was asked of them by the security guards, she's frustrated by the entire ordeal.

"In this instance, they came up to a room and it seems like they saw a space filled with predominantly Black people, and for whatever reason, again, I think it was racially motivated, did not follow the protocol," Malone said.

A Hyatt spokesperson sent CBS News Colorado a statement about the incident saying, "Hyatt is committed to caring for its guests, colleagues and communities. We have a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for guests and colleagues, and there is zero tolerance for disrespectful or discriminatory behavior at any Hyatt hotel. We take claims of discrimination very seriously and are thoroughly investigating the situation."

Since the incident, multiple organizations and leaders are speaking out in support of Malone and the conference guests, but she said these actions don't just harm her but the entire Black community.

"If this can happen to the president of the national association, then who is safe in these spaces?," she said.

Malone, NASP board members, and Hyatt staff are in communication and trying to rectify the situation. Malone is asking for a public apology, among other things like hotel reimbursements and requiring staff to take diversity, equity and inclusion trainings. She also wants to make sure this doesn't happen to other Black and/or people of color at a Hyatt hotel.

To read more on incident, visit nasponline.org.