Two United Airlines Flight Attendants File Lawsuit
"Excluded from LA Dodgers Charter Flight Due to Being Black," They Claim
Airline Responds, "Baseless Lawsuit... Will Defend Vigorously"
Two flight attendants working for United Airlines in the United States have filed a lawsuit against the airline, alleging discrimination in the assignment of charter flight duties.
According to foreign media reports including Forbes and the Los Angeles Daily News on the 16th, the airline's flight attendants, Davi Quezada (44) and Don Todd (50), filed a complaint in Los Angeles court at the end of October, expressing dissatisfaction over being excluded from working on the Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers charter flight. They claim that the company replaced some of the flight attendants on the LA Dodgers charter flight with young, slim white female attendants.
Quezada, who is a Jewish Mexican and Black, stated that during his 16 years at United Airlines, he was subjected to insulting remarks such as "Mexican who cleans the bathroom" and "maid of the airplane." He also added, "I was told not to speak Spanish when talking to Dodgers players."
Like Quezada, Todd, who is also Black, has worked at the airline for 17 years and claims he faced demotion of Black flight attendants, denial of preferential treatment, racial and age discrimination, and retaliation from the company after voicing complaints.
Working as a charter flight attendant at this airline is considered a form of promotion. Both Quezada and Todd, who have long careers, interviewed for the charter flight attendant position but were not selected. Quezada said, "I looked at the list of charter flight attendants and saw that three white attendants with blonde hair and blue eyes were added."
They stated, "The assignment of flight attendants to charter flights was based on stereotypes about race and physical appearance," and "We heard from management that 'white flight attendants have the looks that players would like.'" They claim that due to these company actions, they have suffered panic attacks, anxiety, and lowered self-esteem, and are seeking a jury trial and damages.
Flight attendants working on Dodgers charter flights receive higher pay and allowances due to longer flight times, and have access to luxury accommodations, making these positions highly preferred among flight attendants. According to the complaint, Dodgers charter flight attendants receive two to three times the standard allowances.
Their attorney said they understand that flight attendants were replaced based on the Dodgers' preferences but did not file a lawsuit against the Dodgers. The attorney pointed out, "Major U.S. companies like United Airlines must know that selecting employees based on race and appearance is illegal, even if the goal is customer satisfaction."
Regarding the lawsuit, United Airlines stated, "United fosters an inclusive environment and does not tolerate any form of discrimination," adding, "We believe this lawsuit has no merit and we will vigorously defend ourselves."
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