Women Sue Fort Worth Hotel After Employee Allegedly Let Intruder Into Room Leading to Assault

A civil lawsuit filed in Dallas County is making serious accusations against a downtown Fort Worth hotel, alleging that a front desk employee used a master key to let an intruder into a guest room where one of two women was later sexually assaulted. The women, identified in court documents as J.E. and L.T., are seeking over $1 million in damages, claiming the hotel’s negligence directly led to the traumatic incident.

The alleged assault took place in March 2024 at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in downtown Fort Worth. According to the lawsuit, the women were in town for work and briefly spoke outside the hotel with a man who claimed to be homeless. One of the women, J.E., went up to the room to sleep, while L.T. followed shortly after. Moments later, L.T. heard banging on the door and saw the same man from earlier standing outside. Believing the door was secure, she assumed he could not get in. However, surveillance video submitted as part of the lawsuit allegedly shows the front desk employee escorting the man to the room and unlocking the door using a master key.

The suit claims that once inside, the man sexually assaulted J.E. while L.T. was in the bathroom. Terrified and unsure of what to do, L.T. remained hidden until she believed it was safe. She then ran to the front desk and reportedly screamed, “Why is there a random guy in our room?” The employee is said to have gone upstairs, returned with the man, who then yelled at the woman and fled the hotel.

The women’s attorney, Anna Greenberg, argues that the front desk employee violated basic hotel safety protocol by granting room access to a person who was not a registered guest, without verifying his identity or confirming consent from the occupants. Greenberg also shared surveillance footage of the incident online, stating that it underscores a larger industry-wide issue with hotel security practices.

The amended lawsuit adds an intrusion claim and states that the employee used a master key to access the room, a claim the plaintiffs plan to support through a lock audit. The legal action names multiple defendants, including MCR Investors LLC, MCR Hotels, and several related entities. The hotel group filed a general denial in June 2024, rejecting all allegations of wrongdoing.

The lawsuit outlines several alleged failures by the hotel, including not checking the intruder’s ID, not confirming if he was a registered guest, not informing the guests of the access request, and failing to hire or train staff adequately. The suspect involved in the alleged assault has not yet been identified or apprehended, and Fort Worth police have confirmed that the investigation remains open.

The case has gained public attention after Greenberg posted about it on social media, emphasizing the urgent need for stronger hotel security policies. She has said both women are determined to speak out to prevent similar incidents from happening to others.

With both sides requesting a jury trial, the case is set to proceed in Dallas County, where the hotel defendants are based. Depositions are expected to begin in July, with a trial date scheduled for October.