United Airlines employee removed from work after racially abusing actress

United Airlines employee removed from work after racially abusing actress

A United Airlines employee has been accused of shouting racial slurs at an actress, calling her a “shining monkey”.

Cacilie Hughes was returning from speaking about women’s empowerment at a university in Michigan and was waiting for her luggage to arrive at United’s terminal inside George Bush Intercontinental Airport when the incident occurred.

Hughes told the New York Times she had asked United employee Carmella Davano for a “refund code”, causing her to erupt into a racist tirade calling her a “monkey” and a “shining monkey”.

“I was humiliated,” she said.

“I was crying and I was the only black woman in the area.”

Hughes appeared alongside Will Smith in the 2015 film 'Focus'.

Hughes appeared alongside Will Smith in the 2015 film ‘Focus’.

Hughes called the police, who arrived at the scene where two witnesses told them what Davano allegedly said.

Hughes’ attorneys Benjamin Crump and Jasmine Rand said in a news release that Davano told Hughes to stop looking at her with her “monkey face” as witnesses tried unsuccessfully to intervene.

“Racial slurs like ‘shining monkey’ should be relics of history, not resurrected to fuel the fire of racism faced by so many African Americans in today’s society and condoned on United Airlines flights,” Crump and Rand said in the release.

Davano, who has not returned to work since the incident, was later charged with disorderly conduct for using a racial slur.

A United Airlines spokesperson told Travel Weekly the airline removed Davano from her position straight away and is actively pursuing termination.

“At United, we believe that the diversity of our workforce makes us stronger,” the spokesperson said.

“Together, we proudly hold ourselves to the highest standards of professionalism and have zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind.

“This incident is deeply offensive and does not reflect the fundamental values of our company and our 90,000 employees.

“That is why we took immediate action to remove this individual from the job. Since then, we have been following all of the required procedures under this individual’s union contract and are actively pursuing termination.”

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

united airlines

Latest News

  • Aviation

Low-cost Indian carrier SpiceJet continues to burn cash

It’s not just low-cost Australian carriers that are facing hardship. SpiceJet, India’s version of Bonza, recently announced a 72 per cent reduction in its net loss versus last year. But, despite this improvement, the airline has posted losses for six straight years. But it has secured board approval to raise up to INR 30 billion […]

  • Attractions

SAKA Museum recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2024

AYANA Resort Bali’s newly-opened cultural and events centre, SAKA Museum has been recognised in TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list for 2024. Part of AYANA Bali’s resort destination, the museum integrates Bali’s rich history with state-of-the-art facilities, making it the centrepiece for the island’s spiritual and cultural heritage. TIME magazine’s inclusion of SAKA Museum in […]

  • Cruise

Silversea taps Barbara Biffi as senior vice president for global sales

Ultra-luxury and expedition cruise travel brand, Silverseas, has announced Barbara Biffi as its new senior vice president of global sales. Biffi joined the company in 2007, holding numerous positions and gaining a deep understanding of the brand, the preferences of its guests and its strategic goals, the company said. An Italian national with a wealth […]

  • Technology
  • Travel Agents

Amadeus welcomes FCM Travel as new reseller partner of Cytric Easy

Cytric Easy, the travel management tool embedded in Microsoft Teams, is to be integrated into FCM Travel portfolio. Amadeus and FCM Travel have extended their Cytric distribution agreement to include Cytric Easy. With this new agreement, global travel management company FCM Travel, becomes a reseller of the innovative travel management collaboration solution embedded into Microsoft […]