Jury awards $177M to woman who was assaulted while sleeping at downtown St. Louis Hyatt

A jury awarded $177 million to a woman who was sexually assaulted at a downtown hotel in 2016 by a security guard who used his master key to enter her room while she was sleeping. 

The woman, a sheriff's deputy from New Jersey, was attending a crime scene investigation seminar in St. Louis and staying at the Hyatt Regency hotel on Chestnut Street when a colleague called to ask for someone to check on her, according to the complaint. The hotel's security guard, David A. White, used his master key to enter her room, found her sleeping, then left. He returned soon after and assaulted her. 

White pleaded guilty in 2018 to first-degree burglary and misdemeanor sexual abuse and was sentenced to probation.

But the woman's attorneys with Kansas City-based Davis Bethune & Jones argued in court documents that Hyatt should also be held liable for hiring and not adequately supervising him. 

"Hyatt broke its own rules in hiring and supervision, allowing a sexual predator (to become) a Hyatt security officer," attorney Scott Bethune said.

After a four-day trial, a jury ruled in favor of the woman and awarded $177 million in damages, including $149 million in punitive damages, of which half will go to the state of Missouri for a tort victim's compensation fund.

"We must hold corporations accountable when they so blatantly violate safety rules and cause a sexual assault," said attorney Wes Shumate.

Hyatt, for its part, argued in court documents it shouldn't be held responsible for White's conduct. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.