A former professional basketball player is suing United Airlines in a lawsuit “that alleges a flight attendant “race-baited” him during a dispute over an open seat“, according to Yahoo News.
Eric Murdock played in the NBA for nine seasons, playing for various teams. Murdock averaged 10 points per game over the course of his career.
The lawsuit stems from a situation where Murdock asked to sit in open exit row seats with his son back in July. His son was seated in a different row during a flight home from Las Vegas to New Jersey.
A white, female flight attendant didn’t allow the switch and told Murdock that the seats cost an additional fee.
The flight attendant also wouldn’t allow Murdock to switch seats to the exit row when a passenger seated there offered to switch with him. During the flight, a white woman sat in the other exit row seat and the flight attendant did nothing besides offering her a drink!
The story gets really weird when the flight attendant offered beverage service to Murdock’s row. The lawsuit says that “she asked him if he was “going to boycott” his beverage — an “obvious” example of “race-baiting“.
Another passenger has joined Murdock in his lawsuit against United Airlines.
Another passenger, Brenda Williams spoke up on behalf of Murdock during the flight. The flight attendant supposedly yelled at Williams and told her to stop recording the incident, threatening her that the police would be involved.
Williams, who is also black says that she wasn’t recording the event.
Armed TSA agents removed Murdock and Williams from the plane when it arrived in Newark. They were interviewed and then released.
Based on the story being portrayed by Murdock and Williams, it sounds like United Airlines has a lot of explaining when it comes to how their employees treat passengers.
Find out more from Yahoo News here.
Bob- The thing is, that if a passenger in the exit row offered to switch, why was it denied? As for the comment, she probably should’ve kept it to herself.
Albert- I should’ve mentioned that too- I didn’t get why the airline was being sued. My guess was that this is the way Murdock felt he would be heard.
A- Good points but if the story is true, the flight attendant still sounds like she was out of line.
You didn’t mention that this is not the first lawsuit of the “victim.” I’m also not sure how the person who ganged up on the flight attendant has a right to sue. And I believe that the son was not sitting in the exit row. If he wanted to pay for an exit row, he could’ve paid for an exit row in the first place.
Hopefully united doesn’t just settle this. While it doesn’t sound like great customer service I don’t see how this warrants a lawsuit. Using the word “boycott” means something racial now?
It sounds like the Flight Attendants rightly followed the economy plus up sell policy and this guy got all bent out of shape because he didn’t get something handed to him for free. Who know if the flight attendant actually said that about boycotting the drink service but even if she did I’d be willing to guess that it had nothing to do with him being black and everything thing to do with him acting like an entitled baby.