Cal women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb was upset after she said a Southwest Airlines employee asked her to prove she was the mother of her biracial son. Gottlieb, who is white, claimed the airline stopped her from boarding a flight from Denver to Oakland Sunday night because they didn’t believe her 1-year-old son Jordan was hers. “I’m appalled that after approx 50 times flying with my 1 year old son, ticket counter personnel told me I had to “prove” that he was my son, despite having his passport. She said because we have different last name. My guess is because he has a different skin color,’ read one of Gottlieb’s series of tweets. @SouthwestAir I’m appalled that after approx 50 times flying with my 1 year old son, ticket counter personnel told me I had to “prove” that he was my son, despite having his passport. She said because we have different last name. My guess is because he has a different skin color. — Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG) May 28, 2018 Gottlieb and her fiance Patrick Martin, who is black, were traveling together in Colorado when she was confronted. @SouthwestAir she 1st asked for proof with birth certificate. She then said it’s a “federal law” (not true) but asked me to prove I’m mother with Facebook post.What? ?Mother next to me said she’s never been asked for proof despite diff last name..not shockingly, not mixed face fam — Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG) May 28, 2018 @SouthwestAir it was demeaning and insensitive, not to mention inefficient. Would have missed flight if it was not delayed. I would advise better training for employees to avoid this happening to others — Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG) May 28, 2018 Southwest Airlines told KPIX5 it is looking into the episode Gottlieb described. Related Articles Prep football: Former Cal star Jahvid Best named St. Mary’s-Berkeley coach Pac-12 football outlook: The 10 biggest games of the 2021 season USC hires Lindsay Gottlieb as new women’s basketball coach USOPC review of US Rowing men’s team will include allegations of misconduct at Cal “We’re looking into this specific interaction, and we have engaged with the customer directly to address her concerns,” Southwest Airlines told the television station. “Our employees are well regarded for their hospitality and we always strive for the best experience for anyone who entrusts us with their travel.” Gottlieb released a statement through a Cal spokesperson, expressing her hope that her incident can server as a teachable moment for all involved. “My family had an interaction with a Southwest Airlines employee last night that was uncomfortable and hurtful. I felt that in this situation it was my responsibility to say `Hey, this isn’t OK.’ We had a passport that verified our son’s age and identity, and both parents were present. But still being pushed further to “prove” that he was my son felt disrespectful and motivated by more than just concern for his well-being. “I reached out to Southwest Airlines via Twitter to make them aware of the incident. Southwest replied quickly – apologized and said they would make this a “coaching” moment for their organization. I can certainly appreciate that. While it was upsetting and emotional, I realize that this was just one day of my life where I was uncomfortable and our family was made to feel “less than,” whereas others face similar situations on a daily basis. “I hope the coverage this has received can serve as a learning opportunity and that all families – regardless of how “traditional” they may or may not look – are treated with dignity and respect.”<doc-sep>It was something perfectly ordinary: Lindsay Gottlieb, who coaches the California women’s basketball team, was about to fly with her 1-year-old son. But her family then had what Gottlieb called an “uncomfortable and hurtful” interaction with a Southwest Airlines employee at a Denver International Airport ticket counter. On Monday, the employee asked Gottlieb to “prove” she was the mother of her biracial son, even after seeing the toddler’s passport. The employee then asked for her son’s birth certificate, citing “federal law” — and proceeded to ask Gottlieb if she could prove she was the mother with a Facebook post, Gottlieb wrote in a tweet Monday evening. “We had a passport that verified our son’s age and identity, and both parents were present,” Gottlieb said in a statement to the Washington Post on Tuesday. “But still being pushed further to ‘prove’ that he was my son felt disrespectful and motivated by more than just concern for his well-being.” Advertisement On Twitter, Gottlieb wrote that the employee claimed she requested further documentation of her and her son’s relationship because the boy had a different last name. “My guess is because he has a different skin color,” Gottlieb wrote. She added that a mother next to her told her she had never been asked for “proof” when traveling with her child, who also had a different last name but was of the same race. Gottlieb and her fiance, Patrick Martin, welcomed 1-year-old Jordan Peter Martin last May. Jordan has flown frequently with his mother and the basketball team this season, and Gottlieb wrote on Twitter that she had flown with him approximately “50 times” before. Gottlieb reported the incident to Southwest Airlines through Twitter and said officials quickly apologized. She said airline officials told her they would make the incident a “coaching” moment for their employees — a reference to Gottlieb’s coaching job. Southwest officials said in a statement that they contacted Gottlieb to address her concerns and that the airline apologizes “if our interaction made this family uncomfortable.” “That is never our intention,” officials said. Officials added that Southwest’s policy is to verify that lap children are younger than 2 years old by reviewing a birth certificate or government-issued ID, and that employees aren’t required to match the last names of a child and guardian on domestic flights. Gottlieb said the incident made her aware that the sort of questioning she experienced was probably common among nonwhite families. Advertisement “While it was upsetting and emotional, I realize that this was just one day of my life where I was uncomfortable and our family was made to feel ‘less than’ whereas others face similar situations on a daily basis,” she said. “I hope the coverage this has received can serve as a learning opportunity and that all families — regardless of how ‘traditional’ they may or may not look — are treated with dignity and respect.”<doc-sep>Cal women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb says that Southwest Airlines asked her to prove that her one-year-old biracial son was hers before allowing her to board a flight on Monday. Gottlieb, who is white, says the ticket agent claimed that the request for proof was because her son, Jordan Gottlieb Martin, has a different name. She suspects it was because her son has a different skin color than her. @SouthwestAir I’m appalled that after approx 50 times flying with my 1 year old son, ticket counter personnel told me I had to “prove” that he was my son, despite having his passport. She said because we have different last name. My guess is because he has a different skin color. — Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG) May 28, 2018 Airlines not required by law to match parents, children by name Gottlieb tweeted that the ticket agent cited federal law in asking for proof. Airlines are not required to match the names of parents and children for domestic flights. Gottlieb was traveling from Denver to Oakland. She, her son and fiancé, Jordan’s father, eventually made their flight. @SouthwestAir she 1st asked for proof with birth certificate. She then said it’s a “federal law” (not true) but asked me to prove I’m mother with Facebook post.What? ?Mother next to me said she’s never been asked for proof despite diff last name..not shockingly, not mixed face fam — Lindsay Gottlieb (@CalCoachG) May 28, 2018 Cal coach Lindsay Gottlieb suspects that a Southwest Airlines ticket agent asked for proof that her son was hers because she is white and he is biracial. (AP) Southwest apologizes Gottlieb tweeted her complaints at Southwest, which released a statement and an apology for the incident. “We have reached out to Ms. Gottlieb directly to address her concerns and will utilize the situation as a coaching opportunity for our employee,” the statement reads. “We apologize if our interaction made this family uncomfortable — that is never our intention. Our employees are well-regarded for their hospitality, and we always strive for the best experience for anyone who entrusts us with their family’s travel.” Story continues Southwest also cited company policy regarding traveling with young children. “Southwest Airlines’ policy is to verify lap children are younger than the age of two by reviewing a birth certificate or government issued identification. Certain international locations require us to verify additional paperwork for those traveling with a minor. Domestic travel does not require carriers to match last names of a child and guardian.” A Southwest web page titled “Baby on Board” states that a “birth certificate is required to validate the age of all infants under age two.” Gottlieb told the Associated Press that she hopes that her story will provide a learning experience. “I felt that in this situation it was my responsibility to say ‘Hey, this isn’t OK,'” Gottlieb said in a statement. “I hope the coverage this has received can serve as a learning opportunity and that all families — regardless of how ‘traditional’ they may or may not look — are treated with dignity and respect.” More from Yahoo Sports: • 76ers exec in hot water over reported secret Twitter use • Lakers heaven? LiAngelo works out for L.A. • NBA fans blame U.S. senator for Houston’s playoff loss • Why NFL player’s invite to Trump just won’t work<doc-sep>
Cal's women's basketball coach says Southwest Airlines asked her to "prove" that her biracial son was hers before boarding a flight from Denver to Oakland. In a series of tweets Monday, coach Lindsay Gottlieb wrote that an employee at Southwest's ticket counter asked for proof that she is Jordan Gottlieb Martin's mother in the form of a birth certificate. Gottlieb claimed that the Southwest employee, who cited "federal law," then asked her to "prove I’m (his) mother with (a) Facebook post." "She said because we have (a) different last name," Gottlieb wrote in one tweet. "My guess is (it's) because he has a different skin color." In a subsequent statement provided to USA TODAY Sports through an athletic-department spokesperson, the 40-year-old coach called the interaction "uncomfortable and hurtful." "I felt that in this situation it was my responsibility to say, 'Hey, this isn’t OK,'" Gottlieb said in the statement. "We had a passport that verified our son’s age and identity, and both parents were present. But still being pushed further to 'prove' that he was my son felt disrespectful and motivated by more than just concern for his well-being." Gottlieb said she reached out to Southwest Airlines on social media and they quickly apologized, telling her that they would use the interaction as a "coaching" moment. In a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday morning, the airline company said it had corresponded with Gottlieb to address her concerns and spoken to the employee involved. "We apologize if our interaction made this family uncomfortable — that is never our intention," Southwest Airlines said in the statement. "Our employees are well-regarded for their hospitality, and we always strive for the best experience for anyone who entrusts us with their family’s travel. "Southwest Airlines’ policy is to verify lap children are younger than the age of two by reviewing a birth certificate or government issued identification. Certain international locations require us to verify additional paperwork for those travelling with a minor. Domestic travel does not require carriers to match last names of a child and guardian." Gottlieb has guided the Golden Bears to six NCAA tournament appearances in seven seasons as their head coach, including a trip to the Final Four in 2013. She met her fiancé, Patrick Martin, who is black, in 2014, and their son turned 1 earlier this month. Gottlieb, who is one of several mothers who also work as Division I women's basketball coaches, said she appreciated Southwest's response but was nevertheless hurt by what occurred. "While it was upsetting and emotional, I realize that this was just one day of my life where I was uncomfortable and our family was made to feel 'less than' whereas others face similar situations on a daily basis," she said in the statement. "I hope the coverage this has received can serve as a learning opportunity and that all families — regardless of how 'traditional' they may or may not look — are treated with dignity and respect." Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.