DENVER — A woman is demanding an apology from Southwest Airlines after a flight attendant reported her to police on suspicion of human trafficking while she was traveling with her biracial daughter, according to multiple reports.
“We had been profiled for being a white mother with a biracial Black child,” Mary MacCarthy told KRON-TV, accusing Southwest of racial harassment. “I know if I had a daughter that was blonde, we would not have to go through this trauma.”
Following the sudden death of her brother, MacCarthy and her 10-year-old daughter, Moira, traveled from their home in Los Angeles to San Jose and then on to Denver with Southwest Airlines on Oct. 22, KTVU reported. When they arrived at Denver International Airport, they were met by an airline employee and two police officers and questioned on suspicion of human trafficking, according to the news station.
A flight attendant told authorities that she became suspicious after MacCarthy and her daughter were the last to board the plane, because she asked other passengers to move so that she could sit next to her daughter and because they didn’t speak to each other during the flight, according to a police report obtained by The Denver Post. MacCarthy told the newspaper that they were the last to board the plane because they were assigned to the last boarding group and that she and her daughter didn’t speak much during their trip because Moira was listening to an audiobook and she was trying to catch up on sleep.
“This is the type of situation that mixed-race families and families of color face all the time while traveling,” MacCarthy said, according to the Post. She told KTVU that she carries her daughter’s birth certificate with her when they’re traveling because she knows they might be questioned.
In a statement obtained by KRON, officials with Southwest Airlines said they were conducting an internal review of the situation.
“We were disheartened to learn of this mother’s account when traveling with her daughter,” the statement said. “Our employees undergo robust training on human trafficking. Above all, Southwest Airlines prides itself on providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for the millions of customers who travel with us each year.”
David Lane, a civil rights attorney representing MacCarthy, told KTVU that the issue boiled down to a lack of corporate training.
“Southwest needs to train their officers (about) when they can and can’t call the police,” he said.
MacCarthy told the Post that the incident at the airport exacerbated an already hard day for Moira. Throughout the ordeal, she said her daughter sobbed.
“She just kind of clams up when we talk about it,” she told the newspaper.
MacCarthy told KTVU that she is seeking professional counseling to deal with the trauma her daughter experienced. She and her attorney are considering filing a federal civil rights lawsuit over the incident, KRON reported.