White woman claims Southwest Airlines accused her of human trafficking while traveling with her mixed-race daughter

A white woman said that Southwest Airlines asked her about human trafficking while traveling with her 10-year-old mixed-race daughter.

Mary MacCarthy accused two police officers and a Southwest Airlines employee of thinking that her daughter Moira was a trafficker when she traveled to Denver from San Jose to Denver.

After booking the ticket at the last minute, McCarthy said she tried to get help from the flight attendant to help her sit next to her daughter, but they eventually refused. But the passenger understood and allowed her to change seats.

McCarthy also said that when she landed, Southwest Airlines officials and an employee were waiting to speak to her. According to the footage seen by CBS LA, a Southwest Airlines employee said, “When she boarded the plane, the flight attendant was very worried about her behavior.”

“I am absolutely certain that we were racially discriminated against, but I have other things to worry about. I didn’t think too much until 10 days later,” she told CBS LA.

Then she received a call from the Denver Police Department, claiming that she was a human trafficker.

According to a police report obtained by the Los Angeles branch of CBS, the document stated that she “behaved nervously during the flight and did not speak to her daughter and prevented her from speaking to the crew.” The mother denied these claims.

“They saw a white mother, they saw a child with a different skin color, and said it was suspicious, it may be a crime, and we are reporting it. That’s not okay. This is the United States of America in 2021,” McCarthy said.

A Southwest Airlines spokesperson said in a statement that the company is committed to creating an “inclusive” environment for customers. It also stated that their employees received training in human trafficking.

The spokesperson said on Friday: “While traveling with her daughter, we were frustrated to learn of this mother’s account.” “We are reviewing the situation internally, and we will contact the customer to resolve her concerns and She apologizes for the experience of traveling with us.”