CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Airbnb says a host in North Carolina has been banned from the online room booking service after a prospective guest's reservations were canceled and she was called a racial slur.
News outlets report an unidentified black woman was initially approved for a room in Charlotte, but the host canceled. Shani Taylor, a friend of the woman, posted an online message showing written comments purportedly from the host, calling the woman the N-word. The host was identified as Todd Warner.
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Airbnb spokeswoman Courtney O'Donnell said the company was "horrified" by the messages. She didn't say whether Airbnb verified they were genuine.
O'Donnell said Airbnb has offered the woman support, including a guarantee that she will have a safe place to stay.
A working telephone number for Warner couldn't be found Thursday.