Wednesday, February 26

Detroit rapper Dank Demoss sues Lyft, alleges she was denied a ride over her weight

Dank Demoss, a rapper from Detroit, is suing Lyft, claiming that because of her weight, she was denied access to a car she had requested.

On January 19, Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, posted a video to Instagram showing her interacting with a purported Lyft driver who turned her down for a ride.

I apologize. I have no room. In the video, the driver remarked, “My car is small.”

This car can accommodate me. 29-year-old Demoss answered.

You can’t, I assure you, so I apologize. The driver responded, “I’m going to cancel [the ride], and you won’t be charged.”

Are you saying that because I can’t get in your car, I can’t get into the Lyft? Are you saying that I need to order another Lyft because I’m too big to fit in your car? Demoss uttered those words.

“Yes, you need to order a bigger car,” the driver replied.

He continued by saying that she was unable to ride in the car because of a problem with his tires.

DeMoss shared footage of herself with her lawyers on social media on Tuesday to announce the case.

Lyft and the driver, John Doe, were sued in Michigan’s Wayne County circuit court for allegedly breaking the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which forbids discriminatory acts on the basis of religion, ethnicity, color, age, sex, height, weight, and family status.

The complaint claims that on January 18, Demoss paid for a Lyft journey from her Detroit home to her cousin’s house for a football watch party.

She tried to get inside the Mercedes Benz sedan when the driver arrived, but he allegedly locked the doors and tried to leave.

See also  Maps: See how large the California wildfires are

According to the complaint, he claimed that Demoss was too large to fit in the rear seat and that his tires could not bear Plaintiff’s weight.

Demoss was unable to go to her cousin’s celebration since he drove away. According to the complaint, she experienced emotional harm, mental agony, stress, and humiliation as a result.

According to the complaint, Defendant Lyft unlawfully discriminated against Plaintiff based on her weight, treated her differently from people in similar circumstances based on her weight, and permitted Plaintiff to be the victim of unlawful harassment because of her weight through its agents, representatives, and employees.

The action aims to recover exemplary damages as well as costs and attorney fees.

Demoss stated that she is scarred by the experience and believes the lawsuit will alter how people view others.

She told Detroit’s NBC affiliate, WDIV, that she was ashamed and felt a certain way about it. Since then, I haven’t really left my house.

In a statement, Demoss’ lawyer Zach Runyan stated that it is dangerous and unlawful to refuse someone transportation because of their weight.

Consider the repercussions if Ms. Blanding was left stranded by the driver and was unable to find shelter. He went on to say that things may have turned out lot worse.

In a statement, Lyft stated that it categorically opposes discrimination in all its manifestations.

We envision a society in which all individuals are accorded equal dignity and consideration. According to a Lyft representative, harassment and discrimination are expressly forbidden by our community guidelines and terms of service.

See also  Biden has appointed more Black federal judges than any other president

Lyft stated that its drivers are independent contractors and that it is unable to comment on particular incidents involving ongoing litigation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *