Mom says Southwest Airlines employee mocked child's 'Abcde' name

Southwest Airlines issued a statement Thursday after a Texas mom with an affinity for the alphabet says she and her 5-year-old daughter were name-shamed by a gate agent.

Traci Redford said she was about to board a flight from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to El Paso, Texas, when she overheard employees mocking her daughter Abcde, pronounced, “AHB-sih-dee,” according to the Associated Press. The gate agent reportedly posted a photo of the child’s boarding pass on social media and openly talked about the child’s name with other colleagues.

In an interview with Los Angeles TV station KABC, Redford said she responded to the sneering by saying "If I can hear you, my daughter can, too, so I'd appreciate it if you'd just stop."

In a statement issued to USA TODAY, Southwest Airlines said it has since followed up with the employee involved, but did not disclose any actions taken. 

"We extend our sincere apology to the family," said the airline in its statement. "We take great pride in extending our Southwest Hospitality to all of our customers, which includes living by the Golden Rule and treating every individual with respect, in person or online."

Social media users have not officially taken a side in the name-shaming conflict, but they have had their fun questioning Redford for naming her daughter Abcde.