Newark, NJ – A federal judge refused to throw out a trafficking lawsuit against Wyndham corporate entities, ruling Wednesday that Jane Doe’s allegations about years of exploitation at an Orlando Ramada plausibly tie the franchisors to what she says happened inside the hotel.
Denial keeps corporate defendants in the case
U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton denied Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc., Wyndham Hotel Group, LLC, and Ramada Worldwide Inc.’s motion to dismiss, keeping the claims in federal court under 28 U.S.C. § 1331. The court issued the decision without oral argument under Rule 78.
Allegations of obvious warning signs
Doe alleges she was trafficked at the Ramada at 7500 Augusta National Drive in Orlando from 2013 to 2015 and that the property showed persistent, visible “red flags,” including injuries, restricted movement, lack of possessions, and apparent control by traffickers. She cites contemporaneous online reviews to show activity at the site both before and after her own abuse.
Corporate control theories survive
Although the Orlando location is franchised to Quest Airport Hotel, LLC, Doe claims the Wyndham entities exercised direct control over reservations, check-in, payment processes, a brand-wide “do not rent” system, and other operational levers, requiring reporting of suspected criminal activity. On that pleading record, the court found her Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) claims sufficiently stated to proceed.
Key Points
- Judge Susan D. Wigenton denied Wyndham’s bid to dismiss a TVPRA suit tied to an Orlando Ramada.
- Plaintiff alleges years of trafficking and persistent “red flags,” plus brand-level control and reporting duties.
- The case continues in federal court; no oral argument was held before the ruling.
The suit moves forward, and the hotel brand will have to answer the claims in court.
