A woman from California wanted Southwest Airlines to take responsibility because a flight attendant called her to the police while she was flying with her mixed-race daughter.
Mary MacCarthy, a white man, took her 10-year-old daughter Moira to Denver on October 22, after her brother died suddenly the night before.
McCarthy in Los Angeles told CNN On their connecting flight in San Jose, the flight attendant said that she could not sit with her daughter because there was only a middle seat. She said, but the other passengers changed seats so they could sit together.
When they landed in Denver, McCarthy said she and her daughter met two police officers on the highway.
In a video, McCarthy captured the interaction with airline representatives and officials, and McCarthy’s daughter can be heard crying.
The officials assured McCarthy that there were no problems, but said they were there “because my daughter and I were reported suspiciously before and when boarding the plane.”
A few weeks later, McCarthy learned that she was involved in human trafficking. “I got a call from Denver police The human trafficking department let me know that they are following up on this incident,” she said.
McCarthy accused Southwest Airlines of racial profiling and later hired a lawyer to hold the airline accountable.
She added that she had given the airline “enough time” to contact her and apologize.
Apology and refund
According to reports, in an email to the airline, she requested a written apology, a full refund, and “provided additional compensation for the trauma suffered by innocent families, especially a grieving 10-year-old black girl.”
More than two weeks later, she said that she had not received “two short automatic replies.”
“The time to apologize has passed,” McCarthy added.
In a statement to CNN, Southwest Airlines said it was “disheartened” by McCarthy’s claims.
Airline spokesperson Dan Lansen said: “We are reviewing the situation internally. We will contact the customer to resolve her concerns and apologize for her experience traveling with us.”
“Our employees have received strong training on human trafficking. Most importantly, Southwest Airlines prides itself on providing a warm and inclusive environment for the millions of customers who travel with us every year.”
McCarthy’s lawyers, the Denver Police Department and Southwest Airlines have been contacted for more comment.
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