Buildertrend employee fired over bad behavior on flight from Omaha’s Eppley Airfield
Witnesses heard passenger yell racial slur at Delta Airlines flight attendant
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The CEO of Omaha-based Buildertrend said Wednesday one employee has been fired over an incident on board a Delta Airlines jet that forced the aircraft to return to the terminal at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield Monday afternoon.
Witnesses said several people, some who appeared intoxicated, were loud, belligerent and refused to wear masks aboard the plane. One was heard to yell a racial slur.
Most of those involved were wearing clothing or had masks from Buildertrend. Witnesses said members of the group had been seen drinking in an airport bar before boarding the flight to New York.
In a statement, CEO Dan Houghton said the actions “do not align” with Buildertrend’s values and standards of conduct and then said one employee was terminated.
Social media posts about the incident went viral on Monday as fellow passengers complained about the delayed flight and bad behavior.
According to posts by witnesses, one person protesting the mask requirement shouted the N-word at a Delta flight attendant.
Houghton’s statement did not reference a racial slur, but said Buildertrend continues to investigate the incident.
“Buildertrend shares the frustration, disgust, and concern that many have expressed in the wake of this incident. This behavior does not reflect our values we hold as a company. We sincerely apologize to the passengers and employees of Delta Air Lines; to our employees and customers; our partners in business and philanthropy; and to the communities we serve,” said Houghton in his statement.
The Delta crew turned to the terminal after taxiing for takeoff, had all passengers deplane, and called for Eppley Airfield police to investigate. The flight originally scheduled to depart at 1:10 p.m. eventually left at 3:40 p.m.
Mom hurls racial slurs at Southwest Airlines worker after being told her bag was too heavy: video
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Woman hurls sexist, racist slurs at Southwest Airlines worker
A Southwest Airlines passenger was busted after going berserk at the airport, hurling racial slurs and insults at workers when they told her that her bag was too heavy.
Shocking video from inside the Indianapolis International Airport shows the moment mom Whitney Kayla Wyatt, 30, confronted the bag check-in staffer Sunday morning demanding she let her bag, which was five pounds too heavy, through, the Daily Mail reported.
When the black staff member and a white co-worker told her they couldn’t do that, Wyatt — who was accompanied by two children and a dog — began accosting the black employee.
“Go ahead and be a f—ing c-nt,” she said. “Stupid ass f—king n—-r ass bitch. I need to get on my flight.”
Wyatt then appeared to threaten legal action against the Southwest workers as she claimed to be an attorney.
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“I work at a law firm, do not f—king come at me like that, don’t say ‘first of all.’ I am freaking out right now,” she yelled.
Wyatt appeared to be pleading with the staff about her situation, saying she needed to get on the flight after one of her kids was supposed to get “a very important surgery that he couldn’t have” but she immediately flung racial slurs when the workers denied her bag.
Following the encounter, police were called in to escort Wyatt away, giving her several warnings to stop her disorderly behavior, according to the police report.
Wyatt allegedly refused to do so and began resisting and hurling “obscenities” at the officers, who arrested her for disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.
Penny Thomson, who posted the video on social media, said everyone was shocked by Wyatt’s tirade, which could be heard across the terminal as she continued screaming during her arrest.
“Wow! This is how some people act when they do not get their way,” Thomson wrote. “So impressed with the staff at Southwest. They kept it professional.
“What’s sad is her kids saw this and it didn’t even phase them,” she added.
Southwest Airlines declined The Post’s request for comment. A representative for Wyatt could not be immediately reached.
2 men banned from PAL flights after making racist remarks to Indigenous passengers
The men used a derogatory term to describe Inuit aboard the flight
Social Sharing
Two men have been banned from PAL Airlines after making racist remarks to Indigenous passengers aboard a flight Monday from Happy Valley-Goose Bay to St. John’s.
The remarks upset passengers aboard and sparked outrage on social media.
“One of them said, ‘Here comes an Eskimo’ and [an Inuk man] walked by and the other guy said, ‘Can you smell him?'” passenger Peter Penashue, told CBC News.
Penashue, a former member of Parliament for Labrador, said he was sitting behind the men on the PAL flight and describes them as being drunk and loud. He and others aboard posted their thoughts about the incident as well as photos and a video of the men.
In a statement Tuesday, PAL Airlines said the two men would be banned indefinitely from the airline’s flights.
He said the men also made fun of the Innu-aimun language after hearing a woman speaking it on a phone.
“One of the guys up front said, ‘That’s a funny language’ and the other guy, you know, mimicked the sound of Innu and then they all giggled and laughed,” Penashue said.
Once the plane was on the ground in St. John’s, Penashue said, he saw the men again in the airport terminal.
“These two men came out of the washroom and obviously they knew I was talking about them,” he said. “One of them called out really loud, you know, to be heard and he said, ‘I’m not f–kin’ apologizing for anything.'”
Penashue said the whole experience left him frustrated and angry.
“What do you do? I mean, you can’t change people like that,” Penashue said.
Penashue said he wasn’t sure if anyone brought the issue up with the flight attendants but said he did receive a call from PAL on Tuesday. He said he told the representative the two men should be banned from getting on PAL flights ever again.
“And No. 2: drinking has to cease on planes.… There’s just no room for that kind of behaviour.”
I never thought I’d ever have to experience something like that.- Miriam Lidd
Penashue said the two men should take a good look at their views and be mindful of how hurtful comments like that can be.
“You can’t change people overnight but you have to be challenged … We can’t continue this type of behaviour in a public place,” he said.
First experience
Miriam Lidd of Nain sat across from the men for the duration of the two-hour flight. She said the men made comments she believed were directed at her and her father, whom she said she was accompanying on a medical trip.
Lidd said the experience has left her hurt and disappointed.
“I’ve heard before, you know, stories of racism and stuff like that, but having to experience it myself is overwhelming. I don’t know what to think,” Lidd said.
Lidd also said one of the men simulated sex while standing behind one of the stewardesses.
“Almost, like, sexually harassing her, like pretending to kiss her neck and pretending to hump her back without touching her,” she said. “She kindly said to him, have a seat sir, you’re making me uncomfortable.”
“They should have been kicked off [the flight]” she said, adding that the crew did stop serving them alcohol after the stopover. She said the flight attendant told the men they were being disrespectful and rude, after which they became quiet.
Comments ‘deeply troubling’: PAL
PAL Airlines vice-president Stephen Dinn confirmed the incident and said the airline is “deeply troubled” that customers experienced it.
“Comments such as these have no place in our society and will not be tolerated by our company,” said the written statement.
Dinn also commended both the flight crew for how they handled the situation and the other passengers for showing restraint in the situation.
“We have a proud history of partnership with Indigenous groups in Labrador and will work closely with our partners and communities to ensure our flights remain a welcoming environment for all our customers,” he said
Can I Sue If My Boss Calls Black Workers “Monkeys” And “Slaves”? I Need A Race Discrimination Lawyer?
On Behalf of Brian Spitz | Dec 11, 2014 | Employment Discrimination, National Origin Discrimination, Race Discrimination, Wrongful Termination |
Top Ohio Race Lawyer/National Origin Discrimination Attorney Reply: Is it worth filing a lawsuit while I am still employed? Can I file suit if my current manager is creating a hostile work environment based on my race? What can I do if my employer is constantly referring to me and other African American employees as “monkey”?
A high percentage of employment cases litigated by the employment discrimination lawyers at Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm as well as employment lawyers across the country usually have one common fact; an employee was terminated or forced to quit due to intolerable conditions. Many times, the discrimination itself manifests itself or comes to a head with an employee’s unlawful termination. Or, employees don’t often contact an attorney until they are actually fired.
On the attorney’s end, cases in which employees have been wrongfully terminated present a much-more clear-cut picture of what damages that employee suffered. The employee was collecting a paycheck prior to being terminated, and because of discrimination or retaliation, they are no longer collecting that paycheck.
However, what happens when a situation is so obviously discriminatory, but the employee or employees are still employed with the discriminating employee? Besides the obvious uncomfortable situation of suing your current employer, the question invariably arises, “Is my case valuable even though I haven’t lost any pay as a result of the discrimination?”
A recent lawsuit against an Arizona company answered that question with a resounding “yes.” Swissport Fueling, Inc., which primarily fuels airplanes at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport settled out of court for $250,000 in a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit involving current employees. Swissport was sued by employees from multiple African nations, including Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone because of horribly racist comments from their supervisor.
The employees’ supervisor would routinely use the word “monkey” when referring to the employees. The supervisor would ask the employees, “What are you doing here monkeys?” and even went so far as replacing one employee’s name with “monkey.” The supervisor would also refer to the employee’s lunches as “monkey soup.” In addition, the supervisor went on a racial tirade at the African employees, stating, “You guys are lucky I pay you because way back when, you did not get paid. A long time ago blacks were doing this for free.”
The African American employees reported this outrageous behavior verbally and in writing through a petition that they presented to Swissport’s general manager. Instead of correcting the racist behavior, Swissport did nothing and the racial abuse continued unabated.
The type of discrimination and racism faced by the African American employees was severe enough to warrant such a substantial out-of-court settlement even though none of the African American employees were terminated or demoted, and thus, did not have concrete evidence of damages. The Swissport case illustrates that if severe and/or widespread discriminatory behavior is occurring, substantial damages can be obtained even without evidence of termination or demotion. Therefore, it is not the best practice to simply wait until you are demoted or fired before contacting an attorney.
Given that each situation is different, it is best find out what is the best course of action for you by calling a lawyer – particularly when our attorneys offer a free initial consultation. If you feel that you are being discriminated based on your race, whatever race that may be, then call the right attorney. Race discrimination includes being harassed, fired, wrongfully terminated, discriminated against, demoted, wrongfully disciplined, and denied wages. When you call the right attorney to schedule a free and confidential consultation at 866-797-6040, you will meet with a race discrimination lawyer from Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm who will help you determine the best way to pursue your legal claims.
Disclaimer:
The materials available at the top of this race discrimination page and on this employment law website are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you are still asking: “What should I do …”, “I’m being discriminated against …”, “my boss is discriminating against me because …” or “How do I …”, your best option is to contact an Ohio attorney to obtain advice with respect to race discrimination questions or any particular employment law issue. Use and access to this employment law website or any of the links contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship. The legal opinions expressed at or through this site are the opinions of the individual lawyer and may not reflect the opinions of Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm, attorney Brian Spitz, or any individual attorney.
