Red Roof Inn reaches settlement with sex trafficking survivors involved in federal case

The federal sex trafficking case involving Red Roof Inn has reached a settlement.

Channel 2 Action News has been following the case for weeks. Michele Newell, Channel 2 Cobb County bureau chief was outside the courtroom Wednesday when the national hotel brand settled with the 11 survivors.

Plaintiff's claim Red Roof Inn knew a sex trafficking operation took place from 2009 to 2018 at two Red Roof Inns in metro Atlanta, including one near Windy Hill Road in Cobb County .

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They say the Red Roof Inn not only knew about the problem, but also profited from it. Red Roof Inn has always denied these allegations.

Red Roof Inn shared a statement with Channel 2 News who reads,

“Red Roof denies all allegations and condemns sex trafficking in all its forms. From the first day the defense presented its case, the parties reached an amicable settlement and resolved the matter to the satisfaction of all involved. Red Roof will continue to work with its industry partners in the fight against sex trafficking and the exploitation of victims.”

It is not clear exactly what amount was agreed between the parties involved.

The defense began presenting its arguments on Tuesday.

Survivors suing the Red Roof Inn and other related business entities say they were forced to have sex with numerous men and suffered physical abuse.

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“This is the first lawsuit in the country aimed at holding a hotel brand directly accountable for what happened on the ground.

It was really important for our customers to be able to tell their story, to shine a light on what's happening all around us in our community, in hopes that it doesn't happen to other people,” said the lawyer Sachin Varghese, partner at Bondurant. Mixson & Elmore LLP.

“This case has been ongoing since 2020 and what I can say is that our clients have been with us throughout the entire process and they have been incredibly brave and courageous in coming forward and sharing these stories of the most horrific things that have happened in their lives. They did it because they want to shed light, they want to show what is happening right here in Atlanta and they want to help the next person who might find themselves in this situation,” said attorney Tiana Mykkeltvedt, a partner at Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP.

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