Airbnb is Grappling With How to Treat People with Criminal Convictions

Marlon Peterson served 10 years in prison for his involvement in a serious crime nearly two decades ago. He’s now a social justice activist and recipient of multiple distinctions recognizing his leadership work with youth and gun control causes. He has a podcast, and is working on his first novel.

Too often, Peterson says, only the first fact about him matters. In a scathing op-ed for USA Today last month, Peterson wrote that after chaperoning some young people during the pro-gun-control March for Our Lives in March, he wanted to extend his stay in Washington DC by a couple of days. He tried booking an Airbnb, but failed to secure a reservation. Following a standard background check the platform performs on all US users, his conviction 16 years ago for attempted robbery, and first- and second-degree assault rendered him banned from Airbnb.

JoAnne Page, president of the Fortune Society, an organization that helps thousands of formerly incarcerated people re-enter society each year (and a previous employer of Peterson’s) said Airbnb’s current bans were “egregiously long.”