Sorry, But David Dao Is Not The Asian Version Of Rosa Parks
Image via YouTube/The Sydney Morning Herald
Image via YouTube/The Sydney Morning Herald
Dr. David Dao, the man who was violently dragged off a United Airlines flight earlier this year, has finally reached a settlement with the airplane service.
Dao's lawyers announced that a deal had been reached Thursday afternoon. However, the financial terms of the settlement remain confidential.
"[United CEO Oscar Munoz] said he was going to do the right thing, and he has," Thomas Demetrio, one of Dao's lawyers, said. "In addition, United has taken full responsibility for what happened...without attempting to blame others, including the City of Chicago."
The incident, which occurred back on April 9 in Chicago, was caught on video by fellow passengers. Initially, agents said they had no choice but to remove the 69-year-old doctor from his seat when they first asked him to voluntarily give up his seat for United employees on the flight. They had described Dao as "belligerent and disruptive," but another video taken prior to the incident showed him as calm.
Ultimately, a police officer who worked for the city forcibly removed Dao from the aircraft, dragging him through the aisle of the plane (the officer has since been suspended).
Dao ended up suffering from a broken nose, lost two front teeth and received a concussion during the experience.
Following the ordeal, Dao began to get compared to civil rights icon and activist Rosa Parks, which understandably upset a number of people — including Parks' niece Urana McCauley.
"As someone who is her niece, and grew up with Rosa Parks, and knowing her on a personal level, knowing all she endured and knowing what black people in this country endured at that time, I feel that you cannot compare the two," McCauley said.
"I think that what Dr. Dao is going to do is probably change the policy of United Airlines, but actually what my aunt did was change history," she added.
