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Arab News
3 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Murdered Saudi student lawsuit against Airbnb now in federal court
CHICAGO: A lawsuit filed in the Philadelphia courts against Airbnb Inc. by the parents of murdered Saudi Arabia student Alwaleed Algheraibi, 25, has been moved to the US federal courts, the family's attorney confirmed on Thursday. The case was recently removed at the request of Airbnb from the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas (Pennsylvania State Court) to Federal Court in Philadelphia, also known as the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Attorney Steve Harvey explained that the defendant has a right to be in federal court based on the citizenship of the parties – Algheraibi was a Saudi citizen, while his killer, Nicole Marie Rodgers, is African American. The state lawsuit was filed on May 16, 2025, in the Philadelphia local courts by the victim's father and mother, Abdullah and Eiman Algheraibi, who live in Riyadh. Airbnb is based in San Francisco, California. The lawsuit alleges that a decision by Airbnb in October 2020 to change its policies to allow individuals younger than 21 to rent properties, created the circumstances in which the murder took place. Rodgers was only 19 years of age when she rented the property, even though the property owner complained to Airbnb at the time that she did not want to rent to someone under the age of 21. Had the policy not changed, Harvey argues in the lawsuit, Algheraibi would still be alive because the property owner would not have rented it to Rodgers. 'The parents of Alwaleed Algheraibi are suing Airbnb because they believe Airbnb should be held responsible for sending an Airbnb customer, 19-year-old Nicole Rodgers, to the house in Philadelphia where she brutally murdered their son for no apparent reason,' Harvey told Arab News. 'If it had not been for the Airbnb policy of forcing its hosts to accept guests under the age of 21, Alwaleed would be alive today. It was unreasonable for Airbnb to force the host to accept Rodgers. 'Airbnb knew or should have known that forcing hosts to accept guests as young as 18 could lead to problems, even serious problems like crime, violent crime, and even murder, not in every case or even in most cases but in some cases. This policy led to the death of an innocent young man.' According to the lawsuit, the property owner previously had one of her properties damaged by an 18-year-old Airbnb guest. In response, the owner told Airbnb that she did not want to host anyone under age 21, Harvey said. 'She was told that based on the discrimination policy of the platform that if she were to ask guests their age or choose not to host them based on age then they could flag her (the owner) for discrimination and remove her from the platform,' the lawsuit states. The property in question, a house, is located at 347 W. Hansberry Street in Philadelphia. Guests could stay in one of several individual rooms in the home and share common areas such as a bathroom. Algheraibi 'was not staying in the property through Airbnb, but instead was staying through an arrangement with the property manager, Gardith Edouard, a longtime Airbnb 'host,'' the lawsuit states. The killer, Rodgers, was staying in the property through an Airbnb booking on the third floor, while Algheraibi's room was on the first floor. Harvey said Algheraibi was in the US to get a degree in computer engineering from Chestnut Hill College, and was finishing his studies when he was murdered by Rodgers. 'Alwaleed was engaged to be married, and was looking forward to returning home to be with his fiance and his family. His family was expecting Alwaleed to come home in the coming months, but instead never saw him alive again. 'They suffer deep, even indescribable, anguish at the loss of their son in such a brutal, senseless, and avoidable, killing,' Harvey said. 'The evidence suggests that the killer lured Alwaleed to her third floor of the house on the pretense that she needed his help moving something out of her room. It's a tragic irony that this young man died because he had the kindness to lend a hand to a stranger.' Rodgers was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to 15 to 40 years in prison for the murder. Airbnb did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. Airbnb is one of the world's largest property renters, with more than 8 million active listings worldwide, according to its website.
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Arab News
Airbnb sued by parents of murdered Saudi student
LONDON: The parents of a Saudi student stabbed to death at an Airbnb property in the US are suing the rental company over allegations it failed to properly screen his killer. Al-Waleed Al-Gheraibi, 25, was killed in Pennsylvania in January 2023 by fellow guest Nicole Marie Rodgers, aged 19 at the time of the crime, reported The Independent. She pleaded guilty in December to third-degree murder, burglary, theft and a weapons charge, and is now serving a prison sentence of 15 to 40 years at SCI Muncy in Pennsylvania. Al-Gheraibi, describe as a 'sweet and lovely young man' was studying computer science at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia and was renting a room in the city's Germantown neighborhood for six months. The room was part of a five-bed investment property operated by Gardith Edouard, a Cornell graduate. At the time she lived down the street and looked after the building for its tenants, many of whom were students. Edouard screened Al-Gheraibi thoroughly before accepting his tenancy agreement. Vetting involved a phone interview, background check, educational status report, passport copies and emergency contact details. Al-Gheraibi was a 'model tenant' who 'paid his rent on time and was pleasant to be around,' the suit filed by the deceased's parents, Abdullah and Eiman, said. In December 2022, Al-Gheraibi told Edouard he was extending his stay after requiring an additional course to graduate from college. He was said to be disappointed, the lawsuit said, because he had been excited to return to his family and fiancee in Saudi Arabia. During that period, Rodgers, a resident of Georgia, applied for a short-term booking at Edouard's home through Airbnb. The 19-year-old's profile on the platform was marked 'identity verified.' Edouard, however, was reluctant to rent a room to someone of Rodgers' age after a previous tenant aged 18 had caused extensive damage to the property. In response to Rodgers' booking request, the Airbnb host contacted the platform and said she did not want to rent to anyone younger than 21, the suit said. But Airbnb told Edouard she could be flagged for discrimination and removed from the platform if she refused tenants based on their age. As a result, the host agreed to rent a room to Rodgers from Jan. 5-23 in 2023. On the final day of her stay, Rodgers encountered Al-Gheraibi in the building's hallway and 'induced him to enter her room.' Subsequent news reports have suggested Rodgers requested the Saudi student's help to move heavy furniture. After Al-Gheraibi entered the room, Rodgers stabbed him 'multiple times,' piercing his neck and puncturing his lungs, the lawsuit said. 'He was stabbed multiple times in the neck and lungs, was dragged into a shower, and was left to die alone,' it added. Edouard was alerted after another tenant complained of strange noises in the property. She described the scene upon entering the room as 'the most horrific sight' and said the walls were covered in blood. 'My whole body just shook,' Edouard told The Independent. 'I tried to resuscitate him, but by the time 911 got there, I knew he was dead … I'm still not well, it's just been horrible.' Rodgers had tried to use bleach to cover up the killing, causing an 'overpowering' smell, Edouard said. Al-Gheraibi was pronounced dead at the scene. Rodgers fled the property and logged back into Airbnb to change her name to 'Nicole Jenkins.' The motive for the killing remains 'unclear,' said the attorney representing Al-Gheraibi's parents. Philadelphia police arrested Rodgers a week later. The lawsuit filed by Al-Gheraibi's parents said the Saudi student suffered an 'obviously painful and terrifying' death. It accused Airbnb of negligence 'in numerous ways, including not limiting the ability of persons under age 21 from renting a property through Airbnb' and 'not conducting sufficient screening of potential guests to make it safer for other people staying in an Airbnb property to be free from violent crimes committed by Airbnb renters.' The platform was aware that 'younger renters such as Rodgers have less self-control and are more prone to commit criminal and other destructive acts, including physical harm to other persons who are staying or residing in Airbnb properties,' the suit said. Attorney for the Al-Gheraibi family, Steven Harvey, described the grief of parents Abdullah and Eiman as 'extreme' and said they hoped their son's death would cause Airbnb to change its business practices. Harvey said: 'His parents do want justice, though what does justice mean? What does justice look like? Nothing is going to bring their son back. 'They would like to see Airbnb take some responsibility for its policy that led to this horrific situation.'
The Independent
20-05-2025
- The Independent
Airbnb sued for allegedly not vetting guest who murdered Saudi student in next room
The parents of a Saudi student who was stabbed to death by a fellow guest at an Airbnb in Philadelphia are suing the online platform over his brutal killing, accusing the company of failing to properly screen renters who might turn violent. Nicole Marie Rodgers, 19, pleaded guilty last December to third-degree murder, burglary, theft, and a weapons charge over 25-year-old Alwaleed Algheraibi's January 2023 death. She is now serving a sentence of 15 to 40 years at SCI Muncy, a Pennsylvania state prison for female offenders. Algheraibi's death 'was obviously painful and terrifying to him,' according to the lawsuit by Abdullah and Eiman Algheraibi, which was filed initially in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas and removed to federal court on May 16. 'He was stabbed multiple times in the neck and lungs, was dragged into a shower, and was left to die alone,' the couple's complaint states. Host Gardith Edouard described the scene as 'the most horrific sight,' and said the walls and floor were drenched in blood. 'My whole body just shook,' Edouard told The Independent. 'I tried to resuscitate him, but by the time 911 got there, I knew he was dead… I'm still not well, it's just been horrible.' Algheraibi, a computer science major at Chestnut Hill College, a private Catholic school founded in 1924, 'would not hurt a fly,' one of his instructors said in a posthumous tribute, recalling when he rescued an injured cricket in class. The murder stemmed directly from 'the negligence of Airbnb, specifically, its failure to limit who can use the platform and its alleged lack of rigorous background checks. Attorney Steven Harvey, who is representing Algheraibi's parents in court, said on Monday that Rodgers's motive remains 'unclear.' 'It may have been a petty robbery, it may have been a perceived slight,' Harvey told The Independent. '... Juvenile criminal records are sealed, so we don't have much of a window as to what led her to this.' As for the Algheraibi family, Harvey said, 'The grief is extreme, and Al was about as sweet and lovely a young man as you could find. He liked to hang out in his room and play video games and talk to his fiancee from Saudi Arabia when he wasn't in school.' Airbnb acknowledged a request for comment on Monday, but did not provide one by the time of publication. In the summer of 2022, Edouard placed an ad on Facebook Marketplace for a room available for rent at a townhouse she keeps in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, according to the complaint filed by Algheraibi's parents. At the time, Edouard, a Cornell graduate who is now attending medical school on the West Coast, lived down the street and earned extra money by taking in tenants at the five-bed, three-bath investment property. Many of Edouard's tenants were students, and she paid a screening service to vet everyone before handing over the keys, the complaint states. Before approving Algheraibi as a tenant, Edouard completed a 'proper screening,' including a phone interview and background check, according to the complaint. She further verified Algheraibi's bona fides by obtaining a copy of his passport, confirming his enrollment at Chestnut Hill College, and getting the name and number of his emergency contact, the complaint goes on. 'Ms. Edouard concluded that he checked out and that he sounded like a good person to have at the house,' the complaint continues. Algheraibi signed an agreement to rent a room on the first floor of Edouard's house for six months, beginning in August 2022, the complaint states. It describes Algheraibi as 'a model tenant' who 'paid his rent on time and was pleasant to be around.' 'He was a good person, and was very kind,' the complaint says. In December 2022, Algheraibi informed Edouard that he would need to extend his stay, as he needed to take an extra course to graduate, according to the complaint. He was disappointed about the turn of events, the complaint contends, because he had been looking forward to returning home to his family and fiancée. Around that same time, Rodgers, a Georgia resident, requested a booking at Edouard's home through Airbnb, where Edouard often listed additional vacancies, the complaint states, noting that Rodgers's profile on the site was marked 'Identity verified.' According to the complaint, Rogers wrote, 'Hi me and my dog are traveling to Philadelphia. We would be staying while I look for [a] house, and we would check in around 12-1pm Thursday afternoon.' But, the complaint asserts, Edouard – who had previously rented a room to an 18-year-old who had caused extensive damage – was hesitant about renting again to another underage tenant. So, in response, she contacted Airbnb and said she did not want to host anyone younger than 21, the complaint says. However, the complaint alleges, Airbnb informed Edouard that if she refused tenants based upon their age, she could be flagged for 'discrimination' and removed from the platform. Consequently, Edouard agreed to rent Rodgers a room from January 5, 2023 through January 23, 2023, according to the complaint. It says Rodgers took a room on the third floor, and everything seemed fine for the duration of her stay – until the day she was set to move out. 'Prior to doing so, she, on information and belief, encountered Al and induced him to enter her room,' the complaint states. (Contemporaneous news reports said Rodgers asked Algheraibi to help her move some heavy items that she couldn't handle by herself.) At that point, Rodgers stabbed Algheraibi 'multiple times,' piercing his neck and puncturing his lungs, according to the complaint. 'To attempt to evade detection, she dragged the grievously injured Mr. Algheraibi to the third-floor bathroom and left him in the shower,' the complaint maintains. It says another tenant alerted Edouard to 'strange noises' emanating from the third floor, 'including what he believed was a large dog being 'shoved' into the bathroom.' 'Ms. Edouard entered Ms. Rodgers' room and saw her pouring bleach on the floor,' the complaint states. Edouard told The Independent that when she arrived at the house, 'the smell of bleach was so overpowering, it gave me an instant headache.' A bewildered Edouard then picked the locked bathroom door, where she discovered Algheraibi, mortally wounded, lying in a pool of blood, according to the complaint. After calling 911, Edouard tried to revive Algheraibi using chest compressions, but was unable, the complaint says. Algheraibi was pronounced dead at the scene. 'After the murder,' the complaint concludes, 'Ms. Rodgers, who left the premises, was able to log back into the Airbnb platform and retroactively change her name to 'Nicole Jenkins' and also to change her profile picture.' A week later, Philadelphia police arrested Rodgers. On December 27, 2024, Rodgers pleaded guilty to murder in the third-degree, burglary, theft, and possession of an instrument of crime with intent. According to the Algheraibi family's complaint, Airbnb was negligent 'in numerous ways, including not limiting the ability of persons under age 21 from renting a property through Airbnb,' and 'not conducting sufficient screening of potential guests to make it safer for other people staying in an Airbnb property to be free from violent crimes committed by Airbnb renters.' Airbnb, the complaint alleges, 'knew that younger renters such as Ms. Rodgers have less self-control and are more prone to commit criminal and other destructive acts, including physical harm to other persons who are staying or residing in Airbnb properties.' Edouard told The Independent that she has since stopped renting individual rooms on Airbnb, and has been unable to bring herself to go back to the house where Algheraibi was killed. Harvey, for his part, said Algheraibi's mom and dad are hoping their son's death will spur change in Airbnb business practices. 'His parents do want justice, though what does justice mean? What does justice look like? Nothing is going to bring their son back,' he told The Independent. 'They would like to see Airbnb take some responsibility for its policy that led to this horrific situation.'
