A Black woman in Colorado believes she was racially profiled after Frontier Airlines falsely accused her of human trafficking. According to multiple reports, Lakeyjanay Bailey, 20, was traveling with her white adoptive sister Olivia when authorities at Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport approached her and began interrogating her about her relationship with the toddler.
“There were two police officers, and they came up to me and said, ‘Is it okay if we talk to you?’” Bailey explained of her encounter with the police, who also questioned Olivia to ensure she was in good hands. “The whole time they were talking with us, people kept staring at us, whispering and stuff,” the 20-year-old added.
Bailey and her sister answered cops’ questions, but officers were still skeptical. Per reports, officers followed the two to baggage claim and later called their mother and a social worker to confirm the sisters’ relationship.
“If the roles were changed, and it was a white person walking off the plane with a Black person– like a Black child, I feel like things would be different,” Bailey said. Frontier Airlines, however, insists that race was not a factor in their thoughts, noting the trafficking suspicions came from a nearby passenger, who complained to the flight crew.
“A concern was raised during the flight by another passenger who was sitting near the woman and child and suspected human trafficking,” the airline company said in a statement. “That passenger approached the flight crew with those concerns and subsequently completed a written report during the flight to document her observations.”
“The captain was notified and felt an obligation to report the matter,” the statement continued. “Air travel is one of the most common means for human trafficking. Race played no part in the actions of the flight crew who were following established protocols.”