Huntley woman educates hotel staffs about domestic violence

If a fight is going on inside a hotel room, or if an ex is stalking a hotel employee, how is the staff supposed to handle it?

It's a tricky and potentially dangerous situation, but Huntley resident Cynthia Schumann is teaching local hotel staffs what to do.

Schumann, a recently retired Chicago Police Department sergeant, spent a decade working on domestic violence cases in Chicago hotels. Now she's using that experience and knowledge to launch an online, one-hour course aimed at training hotel staff on what to do if they see abuse happening to fellow employees or guests.

"It's happening out there, and it's happening every day. If we don't see the warning signs, we miss the bigger picture, and that's when tragedy strikes," said Schumann, also an adjunct professor at National Louis University. "There is a need for training and a violence prevention strategy."

Roughly 1 in 7 men and 1 in 4 women have been victims of physical domestic abuse, Schumann said. The public nature of hotels - as well as restaurants and retail stores - increases the chances of domestic violence happening at work.

"Work is the one place where that person can always find you," she said.

Schumann's training program helps employees identify what is - and what is not - domestic violence, as well as learn the current laws in Illinois and the importance of staff members staying alert for potential problems. For example, a bellhop who notices a couple fighting as they exit the car might give the front desk a heads-up so security can keep an eye on that room. Or managers should pay attention if there's an employee who never wants to go home, or if another is bullying people. It's even important to let certain people know if an employee has an order of protection against someone.

"If you have eyes and ears that know there's a potential danger to you, we can all look out for you," she said.

Schumann said the training can ultimately save companies money in liability expenses and allow customers to feel confident knowing the hotel can handle such situations.

"It's a very sensitive topic, and people don't like to talk about it. In our culture, we've been conditioned to keep it behind closed doors," she said. "But offering those resources to employees is not only is the socially responsible thing to do, it's the right thing to do."

The cost for the program varies, depending on whether it's a partial or full course and the number of employees involved. But the price range is roughly $25-$65 per employee.