Southwest Air loses $27mil lawsuit
Santa Barbara Woman Wins $27M In Airline Suit
(AP) EL PASO, Texas A Santa Barbara woman has been awarded more than $27 million in damages in a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines.
Samantha Carrington alleges she was racially profiled when the airline accused her of assaulting a flight attendant and interfering with a flight crew.
Carrington sued the Dallas-based carrier for false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.
According to court records, three flight attendants said Carrington, a naturalized citizen from Iran, became verbally abusive during the flight, grabbed the arm of one flight attendant and threatened to go to the cockpit if the captain was not summoned.
Carrington denies those allegations and says she was the one mistreated during the short flight.
A Southwest spokeswoman says the decision will be appealed.