United Airlines worker charged with calling black passenger ‘a shining monkey’
A United Airlines employee has been charged after she allegedly used racially abusive language, repeatedly calling a black customer “a monkey” and “a shining monkey".
Carmella Davano was charged with a misdemeanour for disorderly conduct after verbally abusing Cacilie Hughes in February 2019.
Hughes, 31, had returned home to Houston from a speaking engagement in Michigan when she approached Davano in the United terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The actress and co-founder of a non-profit mentoring programme told the New York Times that she asked Davano if there was a refund code available.
“She started yelling at me, calling me a monkey,” said Hughes, adding that she felt “humiliated” and started crying.
After another United employee refused to intervene and call the police, Hughes called them herself.
Officers from Houston Police Department arrived and issued Davano with a citation for profane and abusive language in a public place after two witnesses confirmed they heard her verbally abusing Hughes.
United said in a statement: “We have withheld the employee from service since the night of the incident pending an internal investigation.
“Upon conclusion of the investigation, we will take any and all appropriate corrective action up to and including termination.”
Benjamin Crump, a lawyer representing Hughes, said United was failing “to train employees to interact with minority customers".
It’s not the first time that an airline has been accused of racism.
In 2017, America’s best known civil rights organisation, the NAACP, issued a travel advisory warning African American passengers to avoid flying with American Airlines after a pattern of racist behaviour displayed by staff.
The Independent reported one such incident, where two women travelling on an American Airlines flight claimed members of staff were “racist” towards one of them.
Rane Baldwin, who is African American, was flying with friend Janet Novack, who is white, from Kentucky to Charlotte when the incident occurred.
Baldwin – an AAdvantage Platinum Select/World Elite cardholder – had purchased the two tickets and decided to upgrade them both to first class. However, when they were issued their boarding passes, she was instructed to go to the back of the plane despite her frequent flyer status, while Novack, who holds no status with the airline, was directed to first class. Baldwin was told her seat had been reassigned because there weren’t enough first-class seats available.
“I felt like I was being sent to the back of the bus,” said Baldwin.
