A controversy has erupted after claims surfaced that a Delta Airlines employee made racist remarks toward a prominent Korean-American Christian filmmaker, Timothy Chey, and ejected him from a flight. According to the allegations, the employee questioned why Chey, of Asian descent, could not speak Chinese.
The incident occurred on March 28 at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. According to the aviation news outlet PYOK, Chey, along with his wife Susan, was set to board Delta flight DL 1239 to Houston when the alleged discriminatory remarks were made, leading to their removal from the flight.
Chey has since filed a lawsuit against Delta, citing discrimination, emotional distress, breach of contract, gross negligence, and false imprisonment. The suit was filed on September 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
The couple reported that before boarding, a gate agent asked Chey to translate for another passenger who did not understand English, assuming that Chey, being of Asian descent, could speak Chinese. Chey explained that he is of mixed Korean and Japanese heritage and does not speak Chinese, to which the employee reportedly responded, “How can you not speak Chinese?” According to the lawsuit, the employee became visibly irritated and displayed a hostile attitude after Chey clarified his racial background.
The couple’s ordeal continued after they boarded the flight. Seated in first class, they found themselves unable to recline their seats due to a cello carried by a passenger seated behind them. The Cheys requested a seat change to avoid damaging the instrument. However, the same employee who had earlier made the racial remarks returned and allegedly berated them in an irrational and angry tone.
Although another flight attendant offered to assist with a seat change, the original employee returned and informed the Cheys they were being removed from the flight, even threatening to call the police. While gathering his belongings in a hurry, Chey claims he injured his back.
Delta reportedly imposed a flight ban on the Cheys that same day, causing the couple to miss a film-related event. According to the lawsuit, the incident had ongoing repercussions, leading them to avoid other events and negatively impacting the box office revenue of Chey’s films. The lawsuit also states that Chey’s back injury worsened over the past five months and that he has developed a fear of flying as a result.
Delta Airlines has not yet issued an official response to the lawsuit.
Timothy Chey is a well-known filmmaker whose work focuses on Christian themes and values. He directed and produced successful films such as the sports drama Slamma Jamma (2017), David and Goliath (2015), and The Islands (2019). His most recent film, The Firing Squad (2024), has garnered significant attention. Chey graduated from USC Film School and later earned degrees from Harvard Business School and Boston University School of Law.
This is not the first time Delta Airlines has faced controversy. In 2017, the airline denied boarding to a Korean family, including their two-year-old child, due to overbooking, sparking backlash on social media. Additionally, a Korean terminal cancer patient once sued Delta after their baggage, containing critical medical records, was damaged, with the airline allegedly refusing to take responsibility.
BY SUAH JANG, YOUNGNAM KIM [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
