"Security protocols?"
Even in the face of complete exposure, Madison was trying to hide behind procedure, as if racist behavior could be excused by calling it professional caution. "Security protocols?" Naomi repeated slowly. "Security protocols would involve checking identification and verifying passenger information. You did neither."
"You made assumptions based on my skin color and clothing."
Tyler Morgan stepped forward, his desperation making him bold. "Dr. Brooks, this is all a big misunderstanding. We were protecting your aircraft from unauthorized persons. We had no way of knowing—"
"You had every way of knowing," Naomi interrupted. "You could have asked for identification. You could have checked the manifest."
"You could have verified registration. Instead, you decided that a Black woman in casual clothes couldn't possibly own a $75 million aircraft."
Carlos Mendez was struggling to keep his phone steady while capturing every word. His live stream had peaked at 7,000 concurrent viewers, with clips being shared across every social media platform. "Teterboro Gate" was trending on TikTok.
"Private jet discrimination" was climbing on Twitter, and aviation forums worldwide were exploding with commentary. "Ay, Dios mío," Carlos whispered to his audience. "She's dismantling them piece by piece. This is better than any telenovela."
Captain Cain made one last desperate attempt to salvage his career. "Dr. Brooks, in my 30 years of aviation experience, I've learned to be cautious about security. These days, with fraud and identity theft—"
"Captain Cain." Naomi's voice could have cut steel. "In my 30 years of being Black in America, I've learned to recognize racism when I see it. This had nothing to do with security and everything to do with prejudice."
The accusation landed like a physical blow. Cain actually staggered backward half a step, his face flushing red with anger and humiliation. "Now, wait just a minute," Cain said, his voice rising. "I resent the implication that I'm racist. I've served passengers of all backgrounds throughout my career."