Women settle ‘racism’ claim with Napa Wine Train

A group of black women thrown off the Napa Wine Train due to their “offensive laughter” have reached a confidential financial settlement with the train owners in their racial discrimination claim.

The 11 women were members of book club The Sistahs on the Reading Edge, and were on board the train last year to celebrate the birthday of one of their group. During the journey, before they could even enjoy their on-board lunch, they were ejected from the train for what a train employee called their “offensive laughter”.

The women, ten of whom are African American, claimed that the ejection was racially motivated, and that they were being penalised for “laughing while black”. The case quickly created a social media storm on Facebook and Twitter. The women then launched an $11 million case of racial discrimination against the train owners.

The group have now accepted an undisclosed sum in return for withdrawing the case. As a condition of the settlement, they are not allowed to discuss the case or the terms under which it was settled.

Waukeen McCoy, the women’s lawyer said: “The parties are very happy about getting the case resolved. I think they have proved their point.”

The chief executive of the company at the time of the incident, Tony Giaccio, had apologised to the women saying his company was “100% wrong” in its handling of “this regrettable treatment of our guests”, but he said the ejection of the women was not racially motivated.

The Napa Valley Wine Train has since changed ownership, and the current management have not commented on the settlement.