The American Hotel & Lodging Association has partnered with an organization that fights sexual violence to produce an online training program on how to combat the problem in the hospitality industry.

The partnership with National Alliance to End Sexual Violence seeks to raise awareness of the issue in the industry and educate employees on identifying and reporting sexual harassment and assault, according to AHLA. In the coming weeks, NAESV will work with the AHLA Institute to produce a 30-minute online training program for industry employees.

"The safety and security of our employees and guests is paramount for our industry and the issue of sexual violence is one we have always taken very seriously," AHLA CEO Katherine Lugar said. "We are excited to partner with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence on an issue of common concern that we continue to act vigilantly to thwart and prevent while providing more training and information tailored to the hospitality business."

Objectives of the online training include defining sexual violence, rape culture, and consent; understanding the scope of the problem and who is affected; and identify the myths associated with sexual assault. http://bit.ly/2hE5HEf

The announcement came only a few days before AHLA filed a lawsuit against Seattle seeking to overturn a voter-approved ballot initiative requiring hotels to provide housekeepers with panic buttons and to track guests accused of sexual harassment. The association, which was joined in the lawsuit by state and local groups, said the tracking requirement amounts to maintaining a "blacklist" of hotel guests, Politico Pro reported.

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