A Portland family is seeking $1.2 million from Southwest Airlines, alleging a gate agent at Portland International Airport singled them out with false accusations and racially charged comments as they tried to board a flight to New Orleans in August 2025.

The DeWeese family filed the lawsuit Aug. 11, 2026, in Multnomah County Circuit Court. According to the complaint, the confrontation began after the father declared and checked his firearm at the PDX ticket counter, then was called back to resolve an issue with the gun while his three daughters waited at the gate.

That's when things escalated, the lawsuit alleges.

Southwest gate agent Melissa Stallcup yelled out the family's last name and announced that none of them could board because one of the sisters had a gun, according to KATU's reporting on the lawsuit. The family says the claim was false. Stallcup also told the sisters their father was in police custody, which was untrue, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit further claims Stallcup accused one of the daughters of failing to pay the required $125 fee for her cat to travel in the cabin. The family disputes that charge as well.

When the father returned to the gate, he found his daughters stressed, scared and upset, according to the complaint. When he questioned Stallcup about her treatment of his children, she told him he "wasn't going to pop off at her" and that "you guys" always make it about race, the lawsuit alleges.

Southwest Airlines told Simple Flying it is unable to comment due to ongoing litigation. KATU also reported reaching out to the airline for comment.

The suit invokes Oregon Revised Statutes § 659A.403, which bars places of public accommodation from discriminating based on race, and federal aviation law 49 U.S.C. § 40127(a), which prohibits air carriers from subjecting passengers to discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex or ancestry.

Southwest is the second-largest carrier at PDX, holding a 13.6% market share. No court ruling has been issued in the case, and no hearing date has been publicly announced.