(SFGate) - Members of a mostly African American book club kicked off the Napa Valley Wine Train plan to seek up to $5 million for the “malicious oppression” they suffered, a lawyer hired to represent the 11 women said Friday.

“There must be compensation for the humiliation suffered” by the members of the Sistahs of the Reading Edge Book Club, said San Francisco civil rights lawyer Waukeen McCoy.

McCoy said he planned to meet with representatives of the Wine Train next week to discuss a possible financial settlement. The Wine Train had proposed making amends by turning over a 50-seat private car to the club for a future trip — an offer worth about $6,200 based on the current fare of $124.

“That’s not going to get this resolved at all,” McCoy said. “This was clearly racial discrimination.”

McCoy said similar cases of discrimination have settled for “$500,000 to $1 million to $5 million,” and he said such a settlement would be appropriate in this case.

“Off the top of my head, that’s what I see,” McCoy said. “They have been humiliated, and we don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

On Saturday, in a widely publicized incident, members of the book club — comprised of 10 black women and one white woman — were escorted off the excursion train halfway through their trip, while police stood by.

At the time, train officials said other passengers had complained that the book club members were laughing loudly and being disruptive. Book club member Lisa Renee Johnson complained on social media that the club was being humiliated for “laughing while black.”

Wine train chief executive Anthony Giaccio apologized and offered to host the book-club members and 39 of their guests on a free return trip.

Johnson declined to comment on Friday, referring all questions to McCoy.

Kevin Keane, a spokesman for the Wine Train, declined to comment on the request for a financial settlement, saying that train officials had not yet been contacted by McCoy or been served with a lawsuit.