Photo: Deadspin.com
Eric Murdock, a former NBA champ, is suing United Airlines on claims of “race-baiting” following an incident on Flight 1537 that took place in July this year. He’s seeking $10 million in compensation.
Murdock boarded the plane from Las Vegas to Newark Airport in New Jersey with his son, but found out on the plane that they were seated separately. Before the plane left the tarmac, he approached a white flight attendant, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit papers obtained by the New York Post, about the possibility of moving into the empty emergency exit row, so he could sit with his son.
The flight attendant told him that those seats must remain empty at all times and that moving there wouldn’t be possible since they’re “premium,” which means the airline company charges extra for them. She didn’t specify how much more expensive they were, the lawsuit states.
A passenger offered to switch seats with Murdock so he could sit with his son, but the flight attendant ordered him back to his seat. She also yelled at him in front of all the passengers and was being rude and dismissive, the papers note.
About 30 minutes after this, the same Jane Doe sat a white woman in the same exit row seats that she had claimed must remain empty. When Murdock asked for an explanation, she refused to give it to him.
Brenda Williams, who is also black and didn’t know Murdock at the time but is now listed as co-plaintiff in the suit, chimed in on his behalf, pressing Jane Doe for an explanation. She, too, was yelled at and told to mind her own business, right before the flight attendant tried to rip her cellphone from her hand because she was filming the incident.
Later on, when drinks were served, Jane Doe asked Murdock if he was “going to boycott” drinks. He chose “not [to] respond to the obvious race baiting,” the court documents state.
When the plane landed, both Murdock and Williams were escorted off the plane by security and were interrogated by the TSA. They were ultimately released without charges, but the humiliation of being publicly treated like criminals stayed with them.
In a statement to USA Today, United Airlines says that an investigation into the claims is underway. “At United, we proudly hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism and have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind,” the statement adds.
The flight attendant told him that those seats must remain empty at all times and that moving there wouldn’t be possible since they’re “premium,” which means the airline company charges extra for them. She didn’t specify how much more expensive they were, the lawsuit states.
A passenger offered to switch seats with Murdock so he could sit with his son, but the flight attendant ordered him back to his seat. She also yelled at him in front of all the passengers and was being rude and dismissive, the papers note.
About 30 minutes after this, the same Jane Doe sat a white woman in the same exit row seats that she had claimed must remain empty. When Murdock asked for an explanation, she refused to give it to him.
Brenda Williams, who is also black and didn’t know Murdock at the time but is now listed as co-plaintiff in the suit, chimed in on his behalf, pressing Jane Doe for an explanation. She, too, was yelled at and told to mind her own business, right before the flight attendant tried to rip her cellphone from her hand because she was filming the incident.
Later on, when drinks were served, Jane Doe asked Murdock if he was “going to boycott” drinks. He chose “not [to] respond to the obvious race baiting,” the court documents state.
When the plane landed, both Murdock and Williams were escorted off the plane by security and were interrogated by the TSA. They were ultimately released without charges, but the humiliation of being publicly treated like criminals stayed with them.
In a statement to USA Today, United Airlines says that an investigation into the claims is underway. “At United, we proudly hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism and have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind,” the statement adds.
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