AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake expressed her disappointment in the recent Supreme Court Decision concerning whether a self-appointed “tester” of the Americans with Disabilities Act can sue hotels over alleged violations of the civil rights law if she doesn’t intend to stay at them. 

“It is with great disappointment that we share the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding a pivotal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) case, which, unfortunately, is now deemed moot,” Laura Lee shared on LinkedIn. “This decision leaves a critical issue unresolved and denies clarity to lower courts grappling with the legal standing of "testers" in ADA cases.”

Deborah Laufer, a civil rights tester with multiple sclerosis, filed a lawsuit against a hotel for not posting accessibility information online. She had filed over 600 similar lawsuits against hotels for violating the ADA related to online reservation information. However, she dismissed the case before it reached the U.S. Supreme Court and promised not to file any more cases. Chief Justice John Roberts expressed concern that if the Supreme Court deems a dispute over a hotel's alleged ADA violation moot without considering the plaintiff's standing, it may open the judicial system to manipulation.

In her post, Laura Lee said, “Regrettably, for all hoteliers, the answer has been left undecided. We urge all hotel owners to continue to ensure that your reservation websites are fully ADA compliant to avoid being named for alleged violations by activist testers, who have no plans to reserve a room or visit your hotel.”

Read her full post

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