The Chateau Marmont, a famed Hollywood hotel with a reputation for allowing celebrity guests to let their hair down, primarily promoted white people to the most coveted positions while workers of color were stuck in lower-paid, behind-the-scenes jobs, a lawsuit by a former employee alleges.

Thomasina Gross, a Black woman who worked as a banquet server for 2½ years at the Sunset Boulevard hotel, alleges in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week that management passed her over for promotions, awarding the jobs instead to white people with less experience, and that management ignored her complaints about guests sexually harassing her.

“I’ve been a victim of several forms of harassment, including inappropriate touching and being berated by guests, and when I told managers about this, I was met with disregard and inaction,” Gross told reporters Thursday. “I’ve seen myself and my co-workers of color being turned down for better-paid, coveted positions or even the opportunity to secure more hours.”

The opportunities went to workers who were “more on brand” — a euphemism for attractive and white, she said.

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