UC Berkley coach asked on flight to prove biracial son is hers
By admin - 2018-05-29 22:54:37
University of California women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb says an Southwest Airlines employee asked her to prove that she was the mother of her biracial son before boarding a flight.
“I’m appalled that after approx 50 times flying with my 1-year-old son[,] ticket counter personnel told me that I had to ‘prove’ that he was my son despite having his passport,” Gottlieb, who is white, wrote on Twitter, according to KPIX. “She said we have a different last name. My guess is because he has a different skin color.”
Gottlieb said the incident took place on Sunday night at the Denver International Airport. The employee, she said, asked her to pull up a Facebook post to further prove she was the mother of one-year-old son Jordan Peter Martin after she had already shown his birth certificate. She added that the mother next to her said she was never asked for that level of proof when traveling with her child.
“The mother next to me said she’s never been asked for proof when traveling with a child who had a different last name,” Gottlieb tweeted. “Not shockingly, not mixed-race family.”
Southwest has since written to Gottlieb in an attempt to address her concerns, according to Fox News.
“We’re looking into this specific interaction, and we have engaged with the Customer directly to address her concerns,” the airline wrote. “Our Employees are well regarded for their Hospitality and we always strive for the best experience for anyone who entrusts us with their travel.”