New York: American Airlines is facing a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination after three Black men were temporarily removed from a flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City. The complaint, filed in federal court in Brooklyn, claims the men were removed due to a white flight attendant’s complaint about a passenger with offensive body odor.
However, none of the men removed from the flight had an odor, and the plaintiffs argue that their removal was racially motivated. They described the incident as “traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading”.
The lawsuit accuses American Airlines of violating a Civil War-era law that prohibits race discrimination in contracts. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering as well as punitive damages for what they described as “malicious, willful … and reckless conduct.”
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In response, American Airlines stated that it is investigating the matter and emphasized that the allegations do not align with the company’s values. “We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” the airline said.
Susan Huhta, the lawyer representing the plaintiffs, noted that this incident is part of a “disturbing history” of allegations against American Airlines for discriminating against Black passengers.
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This lawsuit follows other recent complaints against the airline. Last month, a Black retired judge from Chicago reported being barred from using a first-class bathroom despite holding a first-class ticket. Additionally, track and field star Sha’Carri Richardson and musician David Ryan Harris, both Black, reported separate incidents of false accusations by American Airlines flight attendants. Richardson was removed from a plane for allegedly harassing an attendant, while Harris was suspected of child trafficking while traveling with his biracial children. The airline has since apologized to Harris and rebooked Richardson on another flight.
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Historically, the NAACP issued a travel advisory in 2017 urging Black travelers to avoid American Airlines due to a series of racially-biased incidents. The advisory was lifted after the airline committed to updating its policies and training employees on implicit bias.
