After running away from home as teenagers, Armani Schanelle and her friend fell prey to the harsh realities of street life.
In 2013, just one day after they left home, the two 14-year-olds were forced into a world of sex trafficking at a Days Inn in Henry County by a man they met online.
“We met a guy, he told us he can help us, and the next thing we know we’re being sold,” Schanellle told WXIA.
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“Because he had a gun on him, we were just like, ‘OK, we don’t want to die, but we want to make it out of here alive.'”
The teens were eventually rescued by law authorities, and their traffickers were later found guilty and jailed.
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Pat McDonough, their lawyer and head of Andersen, Tate & Carr’s sex trafficking section, revealed that the hotel operator, MASP, LLC, now reached a $5 million public settlement, more than ten years later.
The settlement is more than just a financial resolution; it also sends a message that hotel operators and employees must accept responsibility for failing to act. According to 11 Alive, this settlement is a significant step in making hotel operators accountable for human trafficking on their grounds, emphasizing the hospitality industry’s continual need for vigilance and awareness.
The payment comes just after McDonough won a $40 million jury verdict and a $6 million settlement against other Georgia hotels in sex trafficking cases. In less than two months, he has already gotten over $51 million in results for survivors.
“This isn’t just another case, it’s about accountability,” McDonough said. “Two children were sold at a mainstream hotel in our community. By standing up and demanding accountability, these survivors are forcing the industry to confront its role in providing the crime scene for trafficking.”
Schanelle decided to make the settlement public, as did her friend.
“Part of the settlement was it wasn’t going to be confidential because Armani said to us she really wanted to bring awareness,” McDonough said.
He added, “These young women were children when they were trafficked, and they have lived that trauma for more than a decade. They wanted this settlement to be public so the hotel industry cannot pretend it does not know what happens within its four walls. That bravery is what drives change.”
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According to McDonough, the monetary aspect of the settlement is significant, but it is secondary to the message it conveys.
He explained that, while the hotel operator avoided a trial, evidence suggested that the crime was well-known on the hotel grounds.
McDonough said: “We think we would have been able to prove that the front desk person was working with the trafficker, and that cleaning people knew exactly what was going on.”
Schanelle said, “A lot of people turn a blind eye, is what I’ve noticed.”
According to her, the settlement allows her to continue fighting for others while still having the opportunity to heal.
“I’m grateful for it. I’m grateful to have a place in life to go heal better. What’s most important to me is that there are once people in a position I was and I want them to fight,” she explained. “I didn’t win all the battles, but I won the war and that’s all that matters to me.”
