Cal Basketball Coach Allegedly Asked To Prove She's Biracial Son's Mother By Southwest Airlines Employee

A California college basketball coach spoke out after a Southwest Airlines employee allegedly asked for proof that she was the mother of the infant who was traveling with her before a flight on Sunday.

Lindsay Gottlieb, the head coach of Cal's women's basketball team, took to Twitter on Monday and claimed she was questioned about her relationship to her biracial son before boarding a flight at the Denver International Airport.

Gottlieb, who often uses Southwest Airlines for trips with her basketball team, claimed she was asked to show her child's birth certificate and to pull up her Facebook account as validation of her motherhood. The coach said she had her son’s passport with her but the employee asked for further documentation.

"I’m appalled that after approx 50 times flying with my 1-year-old son[,] ticket counter personnel told me that I had to ‘prove’ that he was my son despite having his passport," Gottlieb, who is white, wrote on Twitter. "She said we have a different last name. My guess is because he has a different skin color."

Gottlieb and her fiancé, Patrick Martin, who is black, gave birth to their son, Jordan Peter Martin, in May 2017. She said her son often traveled with her and that this has never been an issue before.

Gottlieb said she felt like she was being unfairly targeted after she discovered that no other parents in the vicinity were asked to show proof of relation to their children. She said she believed it was important to speak out on behalf of her family.

"I do feel like as a white female, with a position of privilege, and a platform where someone is going to listen, it is my responsibility to say, hey, this happened, this isn’t okay," Gottlieb said in an interview with KPIX, a CBS affiliate in San Francisco. "And maybe somewhere down the line, that helps my son, who is biracial and will be for his entire life."

Southwest Airlines issued a statement and apologized for the incident. The company said it had launched an investigation.

"We’re looking into this specific interaction, and we have engaged with the Customer directly to address her concerns," the airline wrote, according to KPIX. "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 said that though she believed that the incident does not reflect the beliefs of the airlines as a company, it should require its employees undergo training so that what she experienced doesn’t happen again.