MolaKule
Staff member
Woman Sues Southwest Airlines Over Obese Passenger Policy
Associated Press Newswires 08/25/04
Copyright 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines (LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.
Nadine Thompson, president, CEO and co-founder of Warm Spirit Inc. beauty and wellness company in Exeter, sued the airline in federal court in Concord last week, saying the company does not uniformly enforce its policy requiring obese passengers to buy two seats.
The lawsuit said "a disproportionate number of women and persons of color are subjects of Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket.
"But for the plaintiff being a large African-American woman, she would not have been subjected to Southwest's policy of requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket."
The lawsuit said, "Similarly sized white male passengers are not subjected to Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket."
Southwest Airlines disagrees with Thompson.
"I know that is not the case at all. We do not tolerate any discrimination in any shape, form or fashion," said Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart.
"Being a black man myself I can totally speak from experience," Stewart said. "We do not discriminate against black people. That's been my experience for the 14 years I've been here."
Thompson said she had booked the flight to a conference in Chicago out of Manchester Airport. She was relaxing in her seat on July 9, 2003, with the seat belt buckled and the armrest down, when a Southwest employee approached her and told her she would have to buy a second ticket or leave the aircraft.
She said the man kept repeating it was "for her comfort and safety and for the safety of the people around her."
Southwest had never before required her to buy two tickets, she said. She told the Southwest employee that no one was sitting next to her, so she couldn't be encroaching on anyone else's seat.
Thompson said she had been a frequent flier on Southwest, flying at least three or four times a month as CEO of Warm Spirit Inc.
She decided to leave the plane. When she left, she was met on the jetway by three Southwest employees and two Rockingham County sheriff's deputies. She said she was deeply humiliated. "I about died."
She said she started to cry, but the deputies were very kind and helped her book a new, single-seat flight on United.
"They're feeling horrible," she said of the deputies. "One of them said, 'You're no bigger than my wife. I can't believe this could happen to my wife."'
Associated Press Newswires 08/25/04
Copyright 2004. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP)--A cosmetics company CEO has sued Southwest Airlines (LUV), alleging that she was unfairly subjected to its policy of requiring large passengers to buy two seats because she is black.
Nadine Thompson, president, CEO and co-founder of Warm Spirit Inc. beauty and wellness company in Exeter, sued the airline in federal court in Concord last week, saying the company does not uniformly enforce its policy requiring obese passengers to buy two seats.
The lawsuit said "a disproportionate number of women and persons of color are subjects of Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket.
"But for the plaintiff being a large African-American woman, she would not have been subjected to Southwest's policy of requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket."
The lawsuit said, "Similarly sized white male passengers are not subjected to Southwest's policy requiring a passenger to purchase a second ticket."
Southwest Airlines disagrees with Thompson.
"I know that is not the case at all. We do not tolerate any discrimination in any shape, form or fashion," said Southwest spokesman Ed Stewart.
"Being a black man myself I can totally speak from experience," Stewart said. "We do not discriminate against black people. That's been my experience for the 14 years I've been here."
Thompson said she had booked the flight to a conference in Chicago out of Manchester Airport. She was relaxing in her seat on July 9, 2003, with the seat belt buckled and the armrest down, when a Southwest employee approached her and told her she would have to buy a second ticket or leave the aircraft.
She said the man kept repeating it was "for her comfort and safety and for the safety of the people around her."
Southwest had never before required her to buy two tickets, she said. She told the Southwest employee that no one was sitting next to her, so she couldn't be encroaching on anyone else's seat.
Thompson said she had been a frequent flier on Southwest, flying at least three or four times a month as CEO of Warm Spirit Inc.
She decided to leave the plane. When she left, she was met on the jetway by three Southwest employees and two Rockingham County sheriff's deputies. She said she was deeply humiliated. "I about died."
She said she started to cry, but the deputies were very kind and helped her book a new, single-seat flight on United.
"They're feeling horrible," she said of the deputies. "One of them said, 'You're no bigger than my wife. I can't believe this could happen to my wife."'
