Michigan Man Claims Racial Discrimination After He Changed His Name on Resume and Got an Interview, He Says

"We take this allegation very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind," the company said in response

A Black man from Detroit has filed a lawsuit against a local hotel after he says he was repeatedly denied a job using his name — and claims it wasn’t until he changed it to what he called a more Caucasian-sounding one that he landed an interview.

Dwight Jackson, 27, said that from January to April, he applied to various positions at Detroit’s Shinola Hotel using his resume, which listed his multiple past positions at luxury hotels, all to no avail.

However, he alleges that when he replaced his name on his resume with “John Jebrowski” he was offered an interview, according to CNN.

Jackson’s attorney, Jon Marko, said Jackson showed up for the interview at the hotel, confronted the interviewer and revealed his real identity while stating his belief that his name being perceived as more traditionally African American led to him being denied employment, CNN reported.

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Jackson formally filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Shinola Hotel on July 3, alleging the company discriminated against him in “violation of Michigan Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act” and that “Jackson established that the Defendant’s consideration of candidates was based on the racial appearance of the applicant’s name,” according to the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE.

A short time after he interviewed for the job after changing his name, Jackson was notified that he would not be moving forward in the hiring process, his lawsuit states.

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Marko, on behalf of Jackson, told CNN that his client “wants to shed light on this problem that’s not just isolated at the Shinola Hotel … He wants to make sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson from Sage Hospitality Group, the Shinola Hotel’s operating partner, said, “We take this allegation very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind."

"We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and are dedicated to growing and supporting our current diverse workforce," the company continued.

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The company also contended that “significant inconsistencies” were found in Jackson’s claim following an internal investigation.

“The preliminary findings of our internal investigation relating to this claim have revealed significant inconsistencies with the plaintiff’s allegations," Sage Hospitality Group said. "It is unfortunate that the plaintiff’s counsel has chosen to take these unsubstantiated claims to the media before proper due diligence has been completed."

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