Southwest apologizes after mom says gate agent made fun of daughter named Abcde

Southwest Airlines issued an apology Thursday after a woman claimed a gate agent made fun of the name of her five-year-old daughter, Abcde.

Traci Redford was preparing to pre-board a flight from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to El Paso, Texas, reports Los Angeles TV station KABC.

"The gate agent started mocking my child’s name, laughing, pointing at me and my daughter, and talking to other employees," Redford told KABC. "So I turned around and just said ‘Hey, I can hear you. If i can hear you, my daughter can too. I’d appreciate it if you’d just stop.'”

MORE:El Paso girl named Abcde mocked by Southwest Airlines agent

Redford said the agent also took a picture of the boarding pass with her daughter's name, pronounced "ab-city," and posted it to social media, said the report.

In a statement provided 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."

A search on the Social Security Administration's website found "Abcde" is not among the top 1,000 most popular names for any year of birth since 2000.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.