Three black men have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, saying they were victims of “blatant and egregious racial discrimination” after being removed from a plane. The picture above shows an American Airlines plane parked at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in June 2018.
Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press
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Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press
Three black men have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, claiming they were victims of “blatant and egregious racial discrimination” after being removed from a plane.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court on Wednesday, three plaintiffs — Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean-Joseph and Xavier Weir — said they and five other black male passengers were removed from American Airlines flights. Taken away on a flight from Phoenix to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The eight people did not know each other and did not sit together on the plane.
An American Airlines representative approached the eight men and told them to leave the plane and return to the gate to rebook, according to the lawsuit.
“In fact, when they arrived at the aerobridge, they saw several other black men being removed from the plane. In fact, in the plaintiff’s view, American ordered all black male passengers on Flight 832 to deplane, ” the lawsuit states.
When all eight men got off the plane, they eventually found out the reason for their expulsion – an employee told them someone on the plane had complained about body odor. Jackson, Joseph and Weir said they were not told they had body odor, the lawsuit states.
When the three men pointed out they were being treated unfairly because of their race, an American Airlines worker said she “didn’t object,” the lawsuit says.
All eight men were eventually allowed back on the plane nearly an hour after the airline determined there were no flights to JFK that night.
“The plaintiffs then had to reboard the flight and endured the stares of mostly white passengers who believed they were the cause of the severe delay. They suffered throughout the journey home and the entire incident was traumatic and Disturbing, horrific, humiliating and degrading,” the lawsuit reads.
American Airlines said in a statement to NPR that it takes all allegations of discrimination “very seriously” and wants customers to have a “positive experience” when flying with the airline.
“Our teams are currently investigating the matter as these claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people,” the airline said.
Jackson, Joseph and Weir said what happened to them was “wrong” and said the airline experience left them embarrassed and humiliated.
“Imagine a flight attendant ordering all white people off a plane because of a complaint against a white person. That would never happen. But that’s what happened to us,” the trio said. “There’s no explanation other than the color of our skin…Obviously, it’s discrimination.
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of recent incidents where the airline has faced accusations of racial discrimination.
In February, a Chicago woman said she was discriminated against after a flight attendant confronted her after using an airplane’s first-class restroom.
Pamela Hill-Veal, who is black, said she and her family were flying first class from Chicago to Phoenix on February 10 when an American Airlines flight attendant stopped her as she was returning to her seat. grabbed her and accused her of falling.
“When I returned to my seat, the flight attendant stopped me and told me, ‘Close the bathroom door and you can’t do that again because the passengers are… Slept on the plane. She said she never closed the door.
American Airlines said in a statement to NPR that it had reached out to Hill-Weir to learn more about her experience.
“We work hard to ensure every customer has a positive travel experience and we take all allegations of discrimination very seriously,” the airline said.
The airline did not respond when asked if it was considering changes to employee training or policies.
In 2023, the company drew criticism after two separate incidents made headlines — one involving track star Shakari Richardson and another involving musician David Ryan Harris.
Richardson was forced off a US flight after an argument with flight attendants. Axios reported that Richardson said flight attendants harassed her and tried to intimidate her.
In a statement to Axios, the airline said it would investigate all claims of discrimination, adding, “American Airlines is committed to providing a positive and welcoming experience for everyone who travels with us, and we take allegations of discrimination very seriously.
In September of that year, Harris, who was traveling with two biracial children, said he was stopped and questioned at Los Angeles International Airport when an American Airlines flight attendant suspected that he was selling children.
After the incident, Harris issued a statement that he said was given to him by American Airlines: “We and our flight attendants are aware that our policy regarding suspected human trafficking was not being followed through guidance and counseling. . . . our flight attendants are aware that their behavioral interactions and observations do not meet the criteria for human trafficking to occur.
Concerns about discrimination have dogged Americans for years. In 2017, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the oldest civil rights organization in the United States, issued a warning warning black travelers to use caution when flying on American Airlines.
The airline’s chairman responded that the company “does not and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind” and the recommendation was withdrawn the following year.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson told NPR that the details in the latest lawsuit are “troubling.” He encouraged the black community to continue to “stand up and speak out” against discrimination.
“Let’s be clear – Black travel should not be characterized by shame and disparate disruption. While we recognize a brand’s ability to move beyond the mistakes of the past, part of that evolution includes continuing to be accountable for any deviation from core values, ” Johnson said.
