The Asad Malik lawsuit was a federal sexual harassment and retaliation case filed in August 2025 by Stephanie Starling, a longtime hotel manager for Amerilodge Group, against Malik and the company; it was dismissed with prejudice in May 2026 after the parties reached a stipulated resolution whose terms were not made public.
Who Asad Malik Is
Malik is the president and CEO of Amerilodge Group, a privately held hotel ownership and management company based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Amerilodge operates hotels in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana under brands including Hilton and IHG. Malik and the company denied the allegations throughout the litigation.
What Stephanie Starling Alleged
Starling, 38, managed a Courtyard by Marriott in Bay City and had worked for Amerilodge for about eight years. Her complaint centered on a company outing to a Justin Timberlake concert at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on February 20, 2025, attended by roughly a dozen Amerilodge employees.
She alleged that while she and Malik were away from the group getting food, Malik told her he wanted to kiss her and said it would “probably be a good kiss later on tonight.” Back at a booth, she said, he slid his hand up her thigh and squeezed her buttocks under the table. After the concert, according to the complaint, Malik drove her toward her hotel but stopped in a dark area near a Holiday Inn, unbuckled his seatbelt, and said he was “going in for that kiss.” She said she refused, and he wrapped his arms around her before eventually driving her back.
The Company’s Response and the Disputed Termination
Starling reported the alleged harassment to Amerilodge’s human resources department on February 22, 2025. The company retained an outside attorney to investigate, and the investigation concluded her claims could not be substantiated because there were no eyewitnesses.
What followed is where the two sides diverge sharply. Starling said she faced increased hostility and micromanagement after reporting. On March 12, 2025, after she raised concerns about workplace gossip with her supervisor, her company email access was revoked. The next day, HR emailed her that the company was “upholding her resignation.” Starling maintained she never resigned and was fired in retaliation. Amerilodge’s position was that she had resigned and had a history of performance and conduct issues. The company reportedly offered her a settlement after closing its investigation, conditioned on her waiving all claims against Amerilodge and Malik. She declined.
The Federal Complaint
After receiving a right-to-sue letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on July 23, 2025, Starling filed suit on August 13, 2025 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The complaint brought a Title VII sex discrimination claim along with state-law claims of assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She sought lost wages and benefits, compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees, and equitable relief.
Starling was represented by Jack W. Schulz of Schulz Law PLC. Amerilodge’s defense was handled by Kay R. Butler and Zeth D. Hearld of Starr, Butler, Alexopoulos & Stoner, PLLC.
Malik’s Counterclaim
Malik did not only defend. In October 2025, his attorney Muneeb Mirza Ahmad of Ahmad & Akbar Law filed a 49-page counterclaim naming Starling, her attorney Jack Schulz, and Schulz’s law firm. The filing included 19 exhibits, ranging from internal company records such as performance reviews, disciplinary warnings, and security footage to local news coverage of the case from the Detroit Free Press, Click on Detroit, and ABC 12 News.
How the Case Ended
The case never reached trial. On May 29, 2026, Judge Susan K. DeClercq signed a stipulated order dismissing both Starling’s claims and Malik’s counterclaim with prejudice. A dismissal with prejudice is a final disposition that permanently bars either side from refiling the same claims. The terms of the parties’ agreement were not disclosed in the court record, and no reporting on the settlement details has surfaced publicly.