A white man named Don Crandall, who pulled out his gun to stop a few black students from entering their friend’s apartment building, has been fired from his post of hotel manager at Pax Hotel Group in Tallahassee.
A video of the incident went viral earlier this week. In it, four Florida A&M students including three black ones are trying to enter the Stadium Centre apartment complex and since they did not have a key to the building with them, Crandall did not want to let them in.
The tense exchange lasted a few minutes but will live online forever and seeing the damage that was done in terms of PR; Crandall’s employer was quick to let him go.
The hotel chain issued an apology and said via a carefully-crafted statement: “Pax Hotel Group believes in bringing up and adding to the communities we are a part of. Our team has gone ahead and took the actions that were necessary to uphold our beliefs. One of Pax Hotel Group’s core values is to treat others the way you would like to be treated.”
Isaiah Thomas, one of the black students, said the man’s behavior was racist and added the following remark after being asked why they did not call the police when all of this occurred: “That would have just been another black man dead.”
The apartment complex Stadium Centre has revealed that Crandall did not live in the building. In the clip, he brags about taking the elevator to go and get “laid.”
Here is what Stadium Centre said about the incident: “We are aware of the video posted on social media over the weekend and reported this incident immediately to the police. Firearms are strictly prohibited on our property, and we take this matter very seriously. We are cooperating with the police during their investigation, and it has been determined that the person in the elevator is not a resident. Moreover, we are firmly committed to fostering a diverse residential community that is inclusive and welcoming to all.”
The story sparked many debates online, and some people on social media did not hold back.
One of them said, “He admitted he was “going to get laid!” .. I hope this part of the video gets to his wife!”
Another commenter stated, “Why is a 40-year-old man going to a college to get laid?”
Crandall is a married man, and some of his critics have made sure that his wife finds out about the “getting laid” part of the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCKfhgcRgZM
