Dank Demoss, a Detroit rapper, is suing Lyft, a ride-sharing service, alleging that her weight prevented her from getting into a car she had hired.
Demoss, whose real name is Dajua Blanding, posted a video of an encounter with a purported Lyft driver who turned her down on Instagram on January 19.
I apologize. I have no room. In the video, the driver remarked, “My car is small.” “I can fit in this car,” said 29-year-old Demoss.
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, only named as John Doe, were sued in Michigan’s Wayne County circuit court for allegedly breaching the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which forbids discriminatory acts on the basis of religion, race, 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 that the driver, John Doe, had arrived in, but he allegedly locked the doors and tried to leave.
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.
In the end, he left by car, so Demoss couldn’t go to her cousin’s celebration. 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 case asks the jury or court to award damages that include exemplary damages, costs, and legal 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 of any kind.
We envision a society in which all individuals are accorded equal dignity and consideration. Harassment and discrimination are specifically forbidden by our community guidelines and terms of service. A spokeswoman said, “Against Lyft.” Lyft stated that its drivers are independent contractors and that it is unable to comment on particular incidents involving ongoing litigation.