United Airlines Sued in Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Over Boarding Denial

A Korean American woman and her colleagues have filed a lawsuit against United Airlines, alleging racial discrimination after she was denied boarding at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) due to mistaken identity.

The complaint, filed on June 12 in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland under Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander, was brought by Christine Kim, Jacqueline Chao, Adriana Fabanova, and Daniel Simmons. The plaintiffs accuse United Airlines of negligence and breach of duty based on racial discrimination, defamation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They are seeking compensatory and punitive damages and have requested a jury trial, represented by attorney John Herrick.

All four plaintiffs work in the real estate industry and were returning to Washington, D.C. from a convention in Las Vegas when the incident occurred on August 29, 2023. Due to severe weather, their original flight to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) was diverted to BWI, where passengers remained onboard for nearly five hours.

While waiting to board a new flight at BWI, Christine Kim was informed by a United Airlines employee that she would not be allowed to board again. When she asked why, she was told it was due to the captain’s decision, with no further explanation. When her colleagues pressed for clarification, they were told it was because an Asian woman had “physically threatened a flight attendant” on the prior flight.

According to the lawsuit, the misunderstanding stemmed from an earlier medical incident. During the extended delay on the plane, one of Kim’s colleagues experienced chest pain and cold sweats and sought help from the flight crew. A flight attendant reportedly dismissed the symptoms as “just a panic attack.” In response, Jacqueline Chao, a Taiwanese American colleague, told the flight attendant that such a response was “rude.”

The complaint states that Christine Kim was seated separately in seat 15F, reading a book during the incident, and was not involved in the exchange. The plaintiffs assert that neither Chao nor anyone else made physical contact with the crew. These claims are supported by other passengers’ statements, according to the filing.

The plaintiffs allege that United Airlines mistook Kim for Chao based solely on their shared Asian appearance. Armed security officers were called, and Kim, along with her three colleagues, was escorted out of the airport.

Attorney John Herrick said the events described in the complaint were witnessed by a United Airlines employee, who voluntarily provided his name and contact information to the plaintiffs and is expected to testify during the legal proceedings.

As of June 25, United Airlines had not released a public statement regarding the lawsuit.

BY YEOL JANG [jang.yeol@koreadaily.com]