Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis said he was placed on United Airlines’ no-fly list after an incident two weeks ago, but the airline said it rescinded the ban one day after issuing it.
Davis’ attorney said he and Davis’ family didn’t learn about the withdrawal of the ban until Tuesday, when Davis posted a statement to social media about being banned.
“United has claimed that this information was already communicated to the Davis family through his lawyers,” Davis’ attorney Parker Stinar said in a statement. “This is blatantly false.”
United shared a copy of the email, which is dated July 14, with The Athletic later Tuesday. The company said the letter and the ban were rescinded on July 15 after communicating with Davis’ legal team. The airline said that the parties communicated again on July 16.
Authorities removed Davis from a flight in handcuffs on July 13 following an incident with a United flight attendant. Davis said he “lightly tapped” on the attendant’s arm to get his attention after his son’s request for a cup of ice was either missed or ignored. The flight attendant then shouted, “Don’t hit me,” Davis said, before hurriedly exiting the area. As the flight landed, Davis said six FBI and law enforcement agents boarded the plane and placed him in handcuffs without explanation.
FBI agents released Davis and United later apologized, stating it was “clearly not the kind of travel experience we strive to provide.”
Davis, though, shared a screenshot on Instagram on Tuesday morning of an email he received from United, which stated Davis is “not permitted to fly on United Airlines or any regional carrier operating as United Express” until a review is completed.
“We have apologized to Mr. Davis for his experience and continue to review our handling of incidents like this to protect our highest priority — the safety of our customers and crew,” United said in a statement.
“Engaging in tactics in an attempt to discredit the timeline of events is worrisome, to say the least,” Stinar said. “Today’s events have only further confirmed that there is an urgent need for an overhaul of United’s leadership, who continues to prioritize protecting their image over passenger safety and experience, including at the expense of an innocent family’s reputation and well-being.”
In his Instagram post, Davis said he will never forget how he felt being taken off the plane and how it has affected his family.
“And now there’s the continued damage of receiving this notice of a travel ban sent to me by United,” he wrote. “This company not only wrongfully accused me of something I did not do and had me handcuffed and detained, but they have failed on so many levels to demonstrate any genuine empathy for my family’s experience and also at making the real changes to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
United said Tuesday the flight attendant involved “is no longer employed by United.” Previously, the airline said the attendant was removed from duty.
Stinar said they did not receive any official apology.
“I was banned on this airline even after that sent a media-issued statement with a boilerplate ‘apology,’” Davis wrote Tuesday. “They’ve somewhat admitted to wrongdoing but have done nothing to right this wrong.”
GO DEEPER
Terrell Davis ‘humiliated’ after incident with flight attendant
Per Davis’ post, United said in its letter the company is legally obligated to delay or refuse business with “any passenger whose conduct or condition threatens the safety of our employees or other passengers.”
Shortly after the incident, Davis shared he felt “humiliated, embarrassed, powerless and angry” about his treatment. Last week, a video of Davis being taken off the flight in handcuffs was shared with The Athletic by Stinar.
Video of NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis being detained on a United plane earlier this month following an incident with a flight attendant.
🎥 Parker Stinar, Managing Partner of Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley pic.twitter.com/k6zPkh3Q7O
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 23, 2024
“United’s continued travel ban, lack of a public apology to the entire Davis family, failure to publicly provide any transparency as to how this horrific event took place, and their failure to publicly address significant policy changes to avoid passenger mistreatment, only further justifies the Davis family’s decision to move forward with a lawsuit,” Stinar said. “United must be held accountable, and thus far their actions demonstrate a lack of empathy and care for their customers.”
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(Photo: Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Images)
