Sex Trafficking Victims Get New Chance at Hotel Liability Claims

The standards for civil liability under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act in cases involving hotels were clarified Monday after a federal appeals court revived three lawsuits brought by minor victims.

Hotels can be held liable under the TVPRA without knowing of specific trafficking victims because awareness of apparent sex trafficking activities meet the “knowledge” requirement under federal law, said District Judge Anne C. Conway. Conway, who is sitting by designation for the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, vacated summary judgment in favor of hotel operators Northbrook Industries Inc. and Naseeb Investments Inc.

The TVPRA’s “knowledge element ...