Boston hotel suspends security guard after bathroom confrontation involving same-sex couple

BOSTON — A luxury hotel in Boston announced Tuesday that it has suspended a security guard who was allegedly involved in a confrontation with a same-sex couple inside a women’s bathroom on Saturday.

Ansley Baker and Liz Victor told Boston 25 News reporter Drew Karedes that they were booted out of the Liberty Hotel at 215 Charles Street after a security guard accused one of them of being a man.

Baker said a security guard knocked on her stall and demanded to see her ID to prove her gender.

“He accused me of being a man in the women’s bathroom,” Baker told Karedes.

Baker and Victor were attending a Kentucky Derby party at the hotel on Saturday when they were ordered to leave the premises.

“Literally, left on the sidewalk, both of us crying and shaking,” Victor recalled. “We even heard awful comments as we were walking out of the bathroom.”

In a statement in response to the incident, a spokesperson for Liberty Hotel said that the guard involved had been “suspended from their position” and that "mandatory retraining for all staff" was in order following the conclusion of an investigation into the “serious matter.”

“The general manager is reaching out to the individuals involved today,” the statement said. “The hotel is conducting mandatory retraining for all staff on inclusive practices and guest interaction protocols, with a particular focus on creating a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals."

The hotel also plans to donate to a local LGBTQ+ organization on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia on May 17.

“The Liberty Hotel is and always will be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and a place where everyone is welcome and celebrated,” the statement continued. “We will continue to educate and train our team to ensure that everyone feels safe and accepted within our four walls, and guests who do not show tolerance and acceptance towards others will be removed.”

The hotel initially alleged that the couple violated a policy that forbids two adults in one bathroom stall, a claim that Baker and Victor denied.

“Once the stall door opened, and I’m the only one in there, it escalated further,” explained Baker. “I don’t think that aligns with what they’re saying.”

The couple told Boston 25 News that they planned to alert Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s office about their experience.

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