Lawsuit: Flight attendants couldn't work charter flights for LA Dodgers due to appearance
United Airlines flight attendants Dawn Todd and Darby Quezada are taking a stand against their employer, alleging discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The lawsuit claims they were denied opportunities to work on charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers because the players allegedly prefer a specific look "young, white, and thin."
Dawn expressed her feelings, saying, "It's hurtful that I'm never going to be enough. I can't change the color of my skin." Darby Quezada added, "I'm not blond-haired, blue-eyed, I'm not white. So I got the message."
Both Dawn and Darby have dedicated many years to their careers at United Airlines, with Dawn working for 18 years and Darby for 16 years. The lawsuit they have filed against United Airlines alleges harassment and discrimination based on race, national origin, religion, and age.
The Dodgers are not named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Attorney Sam Yebri, who is representing the flight attendants, stated, "Corporations like United need to do better." He also pointed out that this is the second lawsuit against United Airlines for staffing charter flights exclusively with white, young, thin women. The first lawsuit, filed by flight attendants in Northern California, was settled.
"When my clients complained about these things, they were demoted and ultimately removed from the Dodgers Charter flight, leaving no one who is a person of color on this dedicated crew," Yebri said.
Darby shared examples of the alleged harassment she faced from co-workers before being removed from the charter flight list. She recalled an incident where a colleague criticized her for speaking Spanish to a non-English-speaking pitcher, saying, "We're in America speak English."
On another occasion, a co-worker derogatorily referred to her as the maid, insinuating that her presence on the charter was solely for cleaning duties.
"United fosters an environment of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We believe this lawsuit is without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously," United said in a released statement.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Los Angeles Dodgers were unsuccessful.
Dawn emphasized that they don't want to be in this situation but feel compelled to stand up for their rights. Both Dawn and Darby hope their actions will not only bring about change for themselves but also for all women who face discrimination.