Two Flight Attendants Accuse United of Favoring ‘White, Young, and Thin’ Attendants on LA Dodgers Charter Flights

Two United Airlines flight attendants are suing the airline for discrimination. They allege that they were removed from working the Los Angeles Dodgers charter flights because United preferred “white, young, and thin” flight attendants who were “predominantly blond and blue-eyed.”

Flight attendants Darby Quezada and Dawn Todd filed several charges against the airline including racial discrimination, religious harassment and discrimination, negligent supervision, and age discrimination.

44-year-old Quezada described herself as mixed-race and of Mexican, black, and Jewish descent. On the other hand, Todd, 50, is African American. Both worked for United for more than 15 years according to the suit.

Both Quezada and Todd were assigned to work on the LA Dodgers charter flights after undergoing an unusual interview process. However, stint on the LA Dodgers charter flights was also muddled with controversy. At the end of the 2021 season, former LA Dodger Justin Turner handed out envelopes with cash to flight attendants. Neither Quezada nor Todd, along with other non-white flight attendants, received tips.

Aside from not getting tips, Quezada claims that she was subjected to racial abuse by other crew members. According to Quezada, she was told that she was selected to work for charter flights because the airline “needed a Mexican to clean the bathrooms.”

Removed from Working on LA Dodgers Charter Flights

In April, Quezada was demoted from the core crew of the charter program. By August, she was completely removed from the list. The same thing happened with Todd who was demoted to another crew list. And then, she didn’t get to work on these charter flights along with other minorities .  

Todd officially filed a complaint to United in September. She questioned why “As one of the two African American flight attendants, we have been placed at the bottom of the list denying us equal opportunity to participate in charters.”

According to Todd, United didn’t take any action but rather received retaliation from other employees and the management. She was called the “flight’s maid” and was instructed to clean areas of the plane.  

“Fosters an Environment of Inclusion”

United Airlines released a statement regarding the lawsuit saying that the company “fosters an environment of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind.” The spokesperson said, “We believe this lawsuit is without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously.” A spokesperson of the Los Angeles Dodgers did not comment on the matter.