A lawsuit filed on Wednesday alleges that American Airlines engaged in “blatant and egregious race discrimination” when three Black men were removed from a flight without valid reason.
According to CNN, the plaintiffs, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, claim they were ejected from American Flight 832 from Phoenix to JFK in New York City on January 5, 2024, solely based on their race.
According to the complaint, an American Airlines representative approached each of the men before takeoff, ordering them off the plane without explanation. Upon reaching the jet bridge, they discovered several other Black men were also being removed.
The complaints read, “(O)nce they reached the jet bridge, 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 of the Black male passengers on Flight 832 off the plane.
“Plaintiffs then had to reboard the plane and endure the stares of the largely white passengers who viewed them as the cause of the substantial delay. They suffered during the entire flight home, and the entire incident was traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading,” the complaint reads.
The plaintiffs were told a complaint about body odor had prompted their removal, but none were told they personally had body odor, and they deny having any offensive odor.
Cell phone footage shows a chaotic scene as the men question the airline’s actions, with one American representative appearing to agree that they were being singled out because of their race.
The plaintiffs, who did not know each other before the flight, were eventually allowed back on after an hour-long delay.
The lawsuit alleges that American Airlines has a pattern of discriminating against Black passengers, citing a 2017 NAACP warning that was lifted after the airline made progress in addressing concerns.
The plaintiffs seek damages for pain and suffering, punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees.
American Airlines has stated that they take all claims of discrimination seriously and are investigating the matter, as the allegations do not reflect their core values or purpose of caring for people.
“We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines 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.”
