Two non-white flight attendants have filed suit against United Airlines, claiming the airline discriminated against them in how the company staffed its charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers, by preferring white female workers with blond hair and blue eyes - a look they said was preferred by the Dodgers for staff on team flights.
"United charter airline program for professional sports team has a long, troubled history," says the lawsuit. "For years, United's Inflight Charter Program has been riddled with allegations of discrimination, racism, and sexism."
The lawsuit was originally filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and later transferred to U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.
The program "engages in discriminatory staffing, specifically involving the Los Angeles Dodgers, and shocking racism and discrimination towards minority flight attendants on the Dodgers flights themselves," the lawsuit alleges.
The plaintiffs are Dawn Todd, identified as a 50-year-old Black woman who allegedly has worked for United for 17 years, and Darby Quezada, 44, who is identified as being of Mexican, Black, and Jewish descent and allegedly has worked for the airline for 16 years.
"For more than a decade each, Plaintiffs Dawn Todd and Darby Quezada attempted to apply for the Dodgers Inflight Charter Program," the lawsuit states.."Plaintiffs had the necessary experience and qualifications, but their requests were dismissed and rejected because Plaintiffs were not white."
However, the lawsuit states that Quezada was selected for the program in 2020 and Todd in 2022 after successfully conducting interviews with the airline, the lawsuit states.
In 2022, several white flight attendants were chosen without having to be interviewed, the suit states.
"When Todd and Quezada asked United why certain flight attendants were added to the 'dedicated crew' or 'dedicated list' without having to interview like they did, Todd and Quezada were told that these white flight attendants fit a 'certain look that the Dodgers players liked,'" the plaintiffs state in their lawsuit. "As a result of the addition of these new white crew members, Todd and Quezada began receiving fewer flights as part of the Dodger Inflight Charter Program."
The Los Angeles Dodgers are not named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks financial damages, plus attorney fees.
The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Sam S. Yebri and Alexander M. Merino, of Merino Yebri LLP, of Los Angeles.
United is represented by attorneys Michele Haydel Gehrke and Brandon Nhan, of Reed Smith LLP, of San Francisco.
Quezada v. United Airlines Inc., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, 2:23-cv-10008