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 Andrews sued the Nashville Marriott at Vanderbilt University over
a 2008 video of her that was taken by a stalker in an adjoining room
and posted on the Internet in 2009. Andrews, a Fox sportscaster who
used to work for ESPN, had sought $75 million in damages.
"We're disappointed with the outcome," defense attorney Marc Dedman
told reporters. He said he would consult with his clients - the
hotel owners and its former operators - on whether they would
appeal.
Jurors began deliberating on Monday morning after the two-week trial
concluded on Friday.
"I've been honored by all the support from victims around the world.
Their outreach has helped me be able to stand up and hold
accountable those whose job it is to protect everyone's safety,
security and privacy," Andrews said in a brief statement on her
Twitter feed.
Andrews testified for two days during the trial, saying that since
the video was seen by millions of people, she experienced serious
mental injury, including depression, crying spells and
sleeplessness.
Her lawyers argued that the hotel was negligent and could have
prevented the incident.
The video was taken by Michael David Barrett, who pleaded guilty in
2009 to stalking Andrews and making the video. He was sentenced to
30 months in prison.
Barrett asked the hotel to put him in a room next to Andrews' after
an employee confirmed to him that she was staying there on a certain
date. He rigged a peep hole to shoot the video of Andrews while she
was changing.
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Lawyers for the hotel argued that the responsibility was solely
Barrett's and there was no way the hotel could have foreseen what he
did.
The parties who were found liable were West End Hotel Partners, the
investment group that owned the Nashville Marriott, and the
operating company of the hotel at the time, Windsor Capital Group.
Marriott International was originally named in Andrews' lawsuit, but
the judge removed it.
The jury found that the hotel is liable for 49 percent of the $55
million in damages, or $26.95 million, while Barrett is liable for
51 percent of the damages, equivalent to $28.05 million.
(Reporting by Suzannah Gonzales and Fiona Ortiz in Chicago; Editing
by Dan Grebler and Cynthia Osterman)
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