United Airlines Flight Attendants Claim They Were Taken Off an MLB Team Charter For Not Being 'White, Young, and Thin' in a New Lawsuit Flight attendants Dawn Todd and Darby Quezada filed a lawsuit against United Airlines, claiming they were denied roles on a Dodgers charter flight due to their appearances not meeting specific racial and physical preferences.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Key Takeaways

  • The lawsuit claims alleged bias in hiring practices and treatment.
  • "United fosters an environment of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind," United Airlines said in a statement to Entrepreneur.

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Two United Airlines flight attendants brought a lawsuit against the company last week, claiming they were denied positions on a charter flight for the Los Angeles Dodgers because the MLB players preferred "white, young, thin women who are predominately blond and blue-eyed." The Dodgers are not named as defendants in the suit.

The flight attendants, Dawn Todd, 50, who is Black, and Darby Quezada, 44, of mixed Mexican, Black, and Jewish descent, alleged that they didn't have a "certain look," and claimed the airline denied them roles based on racial and physical biases.

"United fosters an environment of inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind," United Airlines said in a statement to Entrepreneur. "We believe this lawsuit is without merit and intend to defend ourselves vigorously."

In the lawsuit filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the flight attendants claim they were discriminated against after originally being chosen for the Dodgers charter flight program — but then taken off the schedule. Todd and Quezada emphasized their 15 years of combined experience with United and are seeking unspecified damages and a jury trial. The lawsuit claims the treatment they received has resulted in lost income and has negatively impacted their health, causing panic attacks, anxiety, sleep conditions, and a decline in self-esteem.

Related: United Airlines to Pay $30 Million Settlement to Quadriplegic Man Left in Vegetative State After Flight

The lawsuit references a prior case; United Airlines settled an allegation in 2020 regarding the staffing of flights with attendants who were "young, white, female, and predominantly blonde and blue-eyed." The current lawsuit draws from this settlement, noting a change in 2022 when several white flight attendants were "blatantly selected by United's management…because of how they looked."

The lawsuit claims that, unlike Todd and Quezada, these newly added attendants did not have to interview for their positions, whereas the plaintiffs had to undergo "extensive" interviews to secure a position.

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Innovation

4 Ways Market Leaders Use Innovation to Foster Business Growth

Forward-thinkers constantly strive to diversify and streamline their products and services, turning novelties into commodities desired by many.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Your Old Apple AirPods Can Soon Act as an Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid, According to the FDA

The new software is compatible with the Apple AirPods Pro and accessible through iOS — for free and now FDA-authorized.

Growing a Business

5 Risk-Taking Lessons From Founders Who Bet Big and Won

Discover the bold moves and strategic risks that catapulted these entrepreneurs to success. Learn how their fearless decisions can inspire your own path to growth.

Business News

'More Soul-Crushing Than Ever': Popular Hiring Platform Finds Around 20% of Its Postings Were 'Ghost Jobs'

Is that job listing too good to be true? There's a one-in-five chance that it might be.