(Daily360.com) – Dawn Todd and Darby Quezada have been United Airlines flight attendants for more than 15 years but are now suing the company over what they believe are racist staffing practices. Todd, 50, is African American and Quezada, 44, says she is of black, Mexican and Jewish descent. The women say they have been specifically excluded from assignments aboard charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Club.
They alleged the charter flight assignments are highly sought after and primarily go to “white, young, thin women” who they claim have a “certain look” which is different from theirs. They further allege the airline is hiring this way because the Dodgers personnel prefer woman who fit that description.
The women are seeking an unknown amount of money in damages from United. The airline released a statement saying the company “fosters inclusion”, does not discriminate in any way and called this law suit meritless. The Dodgers are not named in the suit but the women say the charter assignment offers double or triple their normal rates.
Both Todd and Quezada had been assigned to these charters after a similar suit regarding private athletic team flights was filed against United Airlines in 2020. They say earlier this year, the airline began adding “white” flight attendants to the charter program and as a result their assignments dwindled before ending completely.
Todd is claiming her company seniority should have given her assignment preference and is also alleging people within the company referred to she and Quezada as the “flight’s maid” as an insult. They say in addition to lost income, being removed from the Dodgers’ charter has caused them anxiety, panic attacks, loss of sleep, diminished self-esteem and forced them into psychological treatment.
The attorney for Todd and Quezada says this is a case of “blatantly discriminatory staffing decisions.” He says whether it was the Dodgers requesting the change or the airline choosing on their own, the staffing choices are proof of a “broken system.” He went on to say choosing the white flight attendants over his clients was allowing “the cancer of racism and anti-Semitism to metastasize on the flights themselves.”
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