United Airlines is under scrutiny once again as two veteran flight attendants, Darby Quezada and Dawn Todd, file a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court accusing the airline of discriminatory practices in selecting crew members for charter flights with the LA Dodgers baseball team.
According to paddleyourownkanoo.com, The 22-page complaint details charges of racial discrimination, religious harassment, age discrimination, negligent supervision, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Quezada, 44, of mixed-race (Mexican, black, and Jewish descent), and Todd, 50, an African-American with over 17 years of service at United Airlines, claim that the airline favored “white, young, and thin” female crew members who were “predominantly blond and blue-eyed” for the coveted charter flights. The lawsuit alleges that United managers consistently chose white or Asian flight attendants in their 20s or 30s for these assignments.
While Quezada and Todd eventually secured positions on the LA Dodgers charter flights through an unconventional interview process, their experience was not without controversy. At the end of the 2021 season, Quezada and Todd, along with other minority flight attendants, did not receive cash tips handed out by former Dodger Justin Turner to their colleagues.
Furthermore, Quezada faced racist abuse from fellow crew members, who allegedly remarked that she was selected to work on the charter flights because United “needed a Mexican to clean the bathrooms.” Despite working several seasons on these flights, Todd claims she was inexplicably demoted, finding herself on a list of flight attendants who could be randomly picked for charter flights without any guarantee of selection.
The lawsuit echoes a similar case from three years ago when two United flight attendants accused the airline of favoring “youthful, white flight attendants – most of whom are blonde” for NFL charter flights. United Airlines responded to these allegations by stating that flight attendant eligibility for charter flights is based solely on performance and attendance, not age, race, or gender.
This new legal action raises questions about United Airlines’ commitment to diversity and fair treatment within its flight crews, reigniting concerns about discriminatory practices in crew selection for high-profile charter flights.
