Veteran United Airlines flight attendant Darby Quezada thought she was breaking a racial barrier when she was selected in 2020 to work on charter flights for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But then Quezada stopped getting chosen for the coveted flights because, she alleges in a lawsuit, the Dodgers preferred attendants who were young and white.
“The wall is still there. I didn’t break anything,” Quezada said in an interview Monday, Oct. 30. Quezada, 44, is of Black, Mexican and Jewish heritage. She and fellow flight attendant Dawn Todd, a 50-year-old Black woman, filed a lawsuit last week against United claiming racial and religious discrimination in staffing the Dodgers charter flights.
“For me, (the job) meant everything,” Quezada said. “I am a minority. I tried to join the charter since 2008 when I was first hired, but I was told I didn’t fit a look.”
The lawsuit claims United officials and Dodgers traveling secretary Scott Akasaki “blatantly” selected flight attendants for the charter based on how they looked: “white, young, thin women who are predominately blond and blue-eyed.”
Quezada, in the lawsuit, claimed United flight coordinator Amy Lagera told her she was shocked that Akasaki once said “hi” to Quezada since he only prefers white and Asian flight attendants.
United denies allegations
United spokesman Charles Hobart on Tuesday reiterated that the accusations are false.
“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,” Hobart said in an earlier email.
For the second time, Dodgers’ management declined comment.
Sam S. Yebri, an attorney representing Quezada and Todd, said he intends to question Dodgers officials under oath and, depending on what he finds, may consider adding the team as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Quezada and Todd said they were never mistreated by members of the Dodgers on…
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