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A Black social worker is suing American Airlines for allegedly accusing her of kidnapping the white toddler she was escorting on a flighthttps://news.yahoo.com/black-social-worker-suing-american-193343442.html
A Black social worker is suing American Airlines after airline employees suspected her of kidnapping a white toddler whom she was accompanying during a flight last fall.
Shannon Murphy, a social worker with Riverside County in California, said that her civil rights were violated when she was pulled off a plane in October 2019, and airline employees took the baby she was caring for. The suit alleges violations of Murphy's civil rights, false imprisonment, and negligence. It seeks unspecified punitive and exemplary damages, and compensation for past and future medical expenses. Murphy said that she been seeing a therapist since the incident, and has suffered from insomnia and nightmares.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in late June and was first reported by the Mercury News, Murphy was escorting the toddler back from a court-mandated two-week visit with his father in Arkansas. While waiting for the second leg of the flight to depart from Dallas-Fort Worth for Ontario International Airport near Los Angeles, a passenger allegedly told a flight attendant that they suspected Murphy of holding a kidnap victim.
The lawsuit claims that there was an alleged kidnapping that had occurred around that time, but that it was in New York City, and involved an older, Hispanic child, with black hair. The child with Murphy had blond hair and "very light skin," the lawsuit said.
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Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)they took the child away from a social worker charged with its care. I hope American Airlines has a fun filled time explaining all their actions. in a court of law.
Nevilledog
(51,122 posts)JohnnyLib2
(11,212 posts)Hopefully the parents will sue, too. Who knows what kind of emotional damage was done to the child via that tension and separation?
Neema
(1,151 posts)Then American had to compound the problem by not simply looking at her papers.
Croney
(4,661 posts)the warm-and-fuzzy fawners with their smug grins would have cooed, "Look what a saint you are, you adopted a black baby."
I have numerous white friends whose children I'm close to. Over the years , I've spent time with the kids, taking them on outings and even on trips. Almost always, at some point during our excursions, I've had some white person assume I was their nanny or housekeeper - because why else would a black woman be out and about with white children?
But never, ever did I have anything like this happen. How traumatic and humiliating for the social worker and the child.
Cha
(297,323 posts)Airlines wishes they never would have listened to that "suspicious passenger"
malaise
(269,054 posts)Hope she gets millions
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)for American. Amazing how Tone Deaf our Hospitality Industry really is. Even working Part time in Social Services Office as a Paper Shuffler,I was issues a special ID Badge just in case.
WhiskeyGrinder
(22,357 posts)after the fact. And Christ, that poor little one.
tulipsandroses
(5,124 posts)She has a transracial family- Children she adopted from foster care. She went to a local fair. They called the police to report that she kidnapped the kid.
SMDH.
DFW
(54,408 posts)For this to stop, the ones doing it need more than a slap on the wrist. They need a fist to the face, and a little financial ruin as icing on the cake.