As a frequent flyer - UA didn't own up to shit. Air Canada and United have always treated people like human trash unless you've got status or are riding in business, that's it.
The fear tactics they've employed (or rather, the society at large have given them: because 9/11) has finally been put under the "common sense and decency" scope of the public.
"Munoz called the incident “a system failure across the board.” He said outdated policies and procedures, which focused more on operations and logistics than customers put all those involved in “impossible situation"
This is a load of garbage. Your company's policies should have never trespasses on my own person's civil liberality and safety or put simply - it is not okay for you to your policy of it harms another person in any way.
This isn't denying service because of a religious conflict - that'd be the same as denying them to board.
This is as if the baker has made the cake, and when the person picks it up they go "naw, another Dr. Dao needs it, so go fuck yourself", and when the patrons complained, they physically assaulted them and then toss them out of the bake shop. While people are filming them and blowing up Twitter.
Even though I've never been bumped not have I been denied boarding, I know how frustrating it can be and in the end, it was another human being United attempted to bully out of the plane. It's like a black person refusing stop and frisk, I say good on him!!
/rant