American Airlines' Boeing 737 planes are seen parked while a Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR passengers aircraft of Delta Airlines takes off to Buffalo (back) at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York on May 24, 2024. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
American Airlines has been hit with a lawsuit claiming racial discrimination. Three Black men filed against the company on Wednesday (May 29) in New York.
According to the Associated Press, the men said they were told to leave a plane waiting to take off in Phoenix, Arizona. Additionally, they noticed five other black men who also had been ordered off the flight.
The three plaintiffs, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, Alvin Jackson, and Xavier Veal, did not know each other before the removal incident. Additionally, they were sitting in different parts of the plane when an American Airlines employee official asked them to get off. That employee informed them that “a white male flight attendant” had complained about a passengers body odor, per CBS Mornings.
The men said they responded that it appeared they were targeted for removal solely because of their race. At that point, the airlines offered to rebook the removed passengers. However, after about an hour of seeking a resolution, there were no other available flights to New York that evening. So, the men were allowed back into the plane.
“If American Airlines received a complaint about a Black male passenger with offensive body odor but could not verify the complaint, the solution should not have been to eject eight separate Black men from the plane,” Susan Huhta, a law attorney representing the three men, said.
.Meanwhile, American Airlines says it is still investigating the claims.
“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 in a statement. “Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”
While the airline claims the incident is not representative of its “core values” or “purpose,” the NAACP might disagree.
In 2017, the NAACP warned Black travelers about using American Airlines for flights, per AP. At the time, the entity had reportedly observed a pattern of incidents with Black passengers.
“Were not telling people not to fly on American,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said. “Were just saying to individuals that here is an advisory note. We have picked up a pattern of a certain behavior of this corporation and until further notice be on alert.”
The CEO of the airline at the time, Doug Parker, reacted by sharing a memo with employees banning “discrimination of any kind.” The following year, the NAACP lifted the advisory.
There is no telling how and if they will react to this latest incident. As for the three men suing, it’s unclear what they’re seeking in their lawsuit.
Last year, Sha’Carri Richardson and Odell Beckham Jr. experienced removals from American Airlines flights just days apart.
Associated Press staff contributed to this report.
