Black passengers sue American Airlines for 'blatant racial discrimination'

A lawsuit filed Wednesday by three black men accuses American Airlines of “blatant and egregious racial discrimination” after they were kicked off a flight “for no valid reason, based solely on their race.”

The suit, representing Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, Xavier Veal and five other Black passengers, stems from an incident on American Flight 832 from Phoenix to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 5, 2024.

The complaint alleges that an American Airlines representative approached each of the men before takeoff and ordered them to get off the plane, which they obeyed.

“(O)nce they reached the jetway, they saw that several other black men were also being removed from the plane. In fact, it appeared to plaintiffs that American had ordered all black passengers on Flight 832 to get off the plane,” the lawsuit states.

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Three black passengers deported without valid reason

Airline representatives reportedly cited a complaint about body odor as the reason for their dismissal, although none of the complainants were personally informed of unpleasant body odor “and in fact, none of the complainants had any unpleasant body odor.

The complaint also alleges that at least one U.S. official agreed with the plaintiffs when they suggested they had been singled out because of their race.

The footage captured the chaotic scene as the men questioned the airline's actions. One man remarked, “So this is discrimination,” to which a woman, apparently an airline employee, replied, “I agree, I agree.” »

Another video shows a man expressing disbelief at the situation: “We're the only ones who got off the plane,” he said, “Look at us.”

Although they did not know each other before the flight and were not seated together, the plaintiffs were eventually allowed back on the plane after about an hour.

The lawsuit reads: “Plaintiffs then had to reboard the plane and endure stares from the largely white passengers who viewed them as the cause of the significant delay. They suffered throughout the flight home, and the entire incident was traumatic, upsetting, frightening, humiliating and degrading.

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American Airlines responded to the allegations, saying: “We take all allegations of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to travel with us. »

“Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as these allegations do not reflect our core values ​​or our desire to care for people”

The plaintiffs seek “declaratory relief, just compensation for their pain and suffering, punitive damages sufficient to deter American from discriminating against black passengers in the future,” as well as charges of dispute.