First appeared on FOX: Rob O'Neill, the former Navy SEAL who allegedly killed Osama bin Laden, recently filed a lawsuit against the hotel alleging that he assaulted a security guard and used racist slurs at the hotel, charges he strongly denies and says it has hurt his business career.
“I've lost a ton of work. There was a time in my career where I was speaking 300 times a year, 250 to 300 times, in a lot of cities, and now that's completely gone, because not doing it makes you look bad,” O'Neill told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview about the infamous incident that took place last August at the Omni Hotel in Frisco, Texas, where O'Neill was accused of drunkenly assaulting a security officer and calling the white security guard the “N-word.”
O'Neill, a former member of SEAL Team 6 who was awarded two Silver Stars and four Bronze Stars, claims he never assaulted anyone or used the derogatory language that prompted him to sue the Omni Hotel. In his lawsuit, O'Neill claims the security guard, Johnny Lee Loomis, had a troubled past and should never have been hired, and that he made false statements about that night.
“The Hotel Defendants knowingly, recklessly, and negligently hired and continued to employ Loomis as a security guard despite it being publicly known that he was a pedophile and child molester,” the lawsuit states. “The Hotel Defendants also knowingly, recklessly, and negligently hired and continued to employ Loomis as a security guard despite it being publicly known that Loomis had a history of violence and had made false accusations of violence and misconduct against hotel guests.”
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Rob O'Neill spoke to Fox News Digital about the lawsuit against the Texas hotel. (Rob O'Neill/Fox News)
O'Neill acknowledges that he had fallen asleep in the hotel bar after a long day of drinking after a speaking engagement and then encountered Loomis as he was returning to his room, but denies hitting him or using racist slurs on him.
“I had a long day of flights from New York to Dallas, then dinner and stuff, then I went to a cigar bar and came back. In a hospitality environment like a hotel, usually you sit at the bar and you try to have a nightcap and you fall asleep at the bar. Unfortunately, that's happened before, and I was semi-escorted back to my hotel room afterwards. Oh well, that happens,” O'Neal recalled.
“It's odd that there was only one perpetrator. It's odd that he knew to go somewhere with no audio or video and it's odd that he tried to use my wallet and keys when, as an anti-theft officer, he had a key to the room. Every time I've seen something like this happen or been around hotel security, they had their own keys. They don't need the perpetrator's keys. So when the police came, I was really surprised at first.”
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O'Neill continued, “Only later did I find out that I was not only accused of assault, but of using racist language. To me, that was also strange. The one guy who walked me to him was a middle-aged white man in his 60s, and he suddenly claimed assault and used racist language. It just seemed ridiculous to me that he would do that when we were alone in a hallway.”
O'Neill said the derogatory term is a “horrible word” that he “would never use” and that he supports law enforcement and has received good treatment from local police, but the lawsuit alleges that Loomis has a history of making false statements and altercations with customers.
According to the lawsuit, Loomis “has engaged in several physical confrontations with hotel guests” and in one incident “made false statements alleging that the guest had initiated the confrontation and incited the guest's arrest.”
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Former US Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill speaks at the “Best of Brandt” Chamber of Commerce Awards ceremony at the Clayton Center for the Arts in Maryville, Tennessee, US. In an interview with The Washington Post, O'Neill identified himself as the man who killed Osama bin Laden in the 2011 raid. (Photographer: Luke Charette/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“On at least one occasion prior to August 22, 2023, law enforcement officials specifically warned the Hotel Defendants about Mr. Loomis and his history,” the lawsuit states, “yet the Hotel Defendants continued to allow Mr. Loomis to remain in a supervisory position and to have continuous unsupervised access to hotel grounds and to guests of all ages. The Hotel Defendants also failed to take any corrective or disciplinary action against Mr. Loomis.”
“The lawsuit seeks substantial compensatory and punitive damages against the Hotel Defendants for their negligent hiring, selection, retention and supervision of Loomis arising from the Hotel Defendants' hiring of Loomis, as well as for the misrepresentations made by Loomis and the events that occurred at the Hotel on or about August 22, 2023.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Loomis did not have the proper security guard registration certification required by Texas law, and that the hotel continued to employ him despite warnings about him from law enforcement in Louisiana, where Loomis previously worked.
O'Neill told Fox News Digital that his main reason for filing the lawsuit is to clear his reputation, which has been forever tainted by false allegations.
“The damage is great and the internet is forever,” O'Neill said. “And it's painful to just sit back and say this wasn't me when it's already out there in the public eye. Anyone who knows me knows this wasn't me. Of course I want to restore my reputation, I want to restore the way my family was treated, how they thought about my reputation and their relationship with me. And most importantly, I've been thinking about this for a year and I assure you that's a long time to keep quiet, especially when it comes to my platform. But I really don't want anyone to be haunted by this.”
“When my grandchildren Google my name, Neptune's Spear or 9/11 they will come across this article which is not true. It impacts my family life, my legacy, my business and my military career,” O'Neill added.
“Even friends and family have heard whispers and stuff when they've been out somewhere. It's really unfortunate. And the lawsuit speaks for itself, but again, the fact that there are people who will print anything for a headline.”
Former Navy SEAL and Valor Award recipient Robert J. O'Neill attends the Salute to Heroes Service Gala to benefit the National Military Family Support Foundation at The Majestic Downtown in Los Angeles, California, March 14, 2015. (Photo: Michael Thalberg/Getty Images)
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Omni Hotel, who provided the following statement: “On August 23, 2023, the Frisco Police Department was dispatched to the Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star on a report of a disturbance involving guest Robert O'Neal. Upon arriving on scene, responding officers conducted their own investigation and made the decision to take Mr. O'Neal into custody.”
“Frisco Police arrested O'Neill on suspicion of public intoxication and assault. Security at the Omni Frisco Hotel at the Star followed all appropriate procedures to ensure the safety of guests and those involved.”
“We await due process in court. Omni Hotels and Resorts followed all standard and legal procedures, including a background check when hiring Mr. Loomis, including all national registrations. No convictions or arrests were found. Omni has suspended Mr. Loomis while this incident is under investigation. We have no further comment at this time.”
Loomis did not respond to media inquiries from Fox News Digital.
