Key takeaways:
- Mary MacCarthy and her daughter were questioned by police officers at the airport after a Southwest Airlines employee suspected her of potential human trafficking.
- MacCarthy accused the airline staff of flagging her as suspicious “based on a racist assumption about a mixed‐race family”
- MacCarthy is seeking unspecified damages, as well as an injunction to prevent Southwest Airlines from engaging in racial discrimination.
A California mother has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, accusing the company of racial discrimination after she and her daughter were questioned by police officers in October 2021.
Mary MacCarthy and her then 10-year-old daughter were traveling from Los Angeles to Denver to attend a funeral when they were confronted by police officers at the airport. According to the complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, the officers informed them that they wanted to question them because a Southwest Airlines employee had suspected MacCarthy of potential human trafficking.
MacCarthy accused the airline staff of flagging her as suspicious “based on a racist assumption about a mixed‐race family,” according to the complaint. She further alleged that the airline staff had subjected her to “blatant racism” and had violated her civil rights.
MacCarthy is seeking unspecified damages, as well as an injunction to prevent Southwest Airlines from engaging in racial discrimination. The airline has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
The incident has sparked a conversation about racial profiling and discrimination in the airline industry. MacCarthy’s case is a reminder of the importance of holding companies accountable for their actions and ensuring that everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
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