A Black social worker with Riverside County is suing American Airlines, alleging that airline employees accused her of kidnapping a white toddler whom she was flying with last fall.
Shannon Murphy, claims her civil rights were violated in October when she was asked to leave her flight and employees took the toddler she was caring for.
The suit seeks unspecified damages and compensation for medical expenses.
According to reporting by the Mercury News, Murphy was accompanying the toddler from a court-mandated visit with his father in Arkansas, when a passenger alerted a flight attendant that they suspected Murphy of kidnapping the child.
"I was shaking," Murphy told Business Insider. "I was scared, even though I had documentation for this child."
Murphy was asked by the airline attendant for multiple forms of ID, such as the child's birth certificate, a signed copy of the court order, and her own ID and boarding pass -- all of which she provided.
"During this time, the baby was reaching for me and crying," Murphy said. "One of the flight attendants had grabbed the bottle out of my bag to give the baby, but I said not to. It was my last bottle."
She added: "Everything just started upsetting me then because we get these kids, and we take them where they're supposed to be. We're supposed to provide safety for these children because they're ours when we have them. I just didn't know what to do. I was scared."
Although airline officials eventually checked the paperwork and admitted there had been a mistake, the suit alleges that airline staff should have simply checked Murphy's documentation and she "would not have suffered the mental, physical and psychological harm flight personnel inflicted upon her."
In June six passengers sued American Airlines alleging racial discrimination after they were booted off a flight at LAX.
The incident started just before takeoff when staff invited passengers to change seats. As numerous people began swapping seats, a member of the airline stopped just one man -- Elgin Banks -- who happens to be African American.
Five passengers stood up and protested Elgin's treatment and demanded an explanation.
Last year, a Killeen, Texas man also sued American Airlines for racial discrimination after he claims he was kicked off a plane when he complained about the airline forcing him to move from first-class to the back of the plane to accommodate a passenger's service dog.
Dana Holcomb was flying by from Las Vegas to Austin with a stop in Phoenix when he had an allergic reaction the support dog sitting with a passenger nearby.
In a statement, American Airlines said: “American makes every effort to accommodate all passengers, including those traveling with and seated near service or support animals."