Three African-American New Yorkers have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging "blatant and egregious race discrimination" after they were removed from a flight bound for JFK Airport due to unfounded complaints about their body odor.
The plaintiffs, Xavier Veal, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Alvin Jackson, claim they were ordered off the January 5 flight at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport by an American Airlines employee, along with five other black men.
The trio's attorney, Michael Kirkpatrick, stated to the Washington Post that the incident was a shock to his clients, who were strangers before the flight. Upon demanding an explanation, they were informed by an airline employee that a complaint about body odor had led to their removal. However, none of the men were directly accused of having an offensive smell, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that the initial complaint about the odor came from a white male flight attendant. When the men suggested racial bias, an American Airlines employee allegedly agreed, a response that was captured on a cellphone recording obtained by the Washington Post.
The remaining passengers on the JFK-bound flight were delayed for at least an hour and were informed that the delay was due to a complaint about the men's body odor. The ejected passengers, unable to secure another flight, were eventually forced to reboard their original flight. The lawsuit states that they "had to reboard the plane and endure the stares of the largely white passengers who viewed them as the cause of the substantial delay."
The plaintiffs described the experience as "traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading." Veal, a production assistant based in Queens, told the Washington Post, "We're walking through the aisle of shame, if you will. It was horrible. It was a really traumatic experience."
Veal further lamented the reality of being a black man in America, stating, "It wakes you back up to the reality that I can't just go to the store; I can't just do regular things like take a plane home." The three men connected at the baggage claim when they finally arrived at JFK.
The lawsuit also seeks significant changes at American Airlines, which has previously faced accusations of racism. In 2017, the NAACP warned black travelers to avoid the airline, citing multiple instances of alleged discrimination.
Michael Kirkpatrick, the lead lawyer on the case for the Public Citizen law group, told the Washington Post, "None of the White passengers were taken off the plane and humiliated and embarrassed. Somebody should have stepped up and said, 'Wait a minute. We can't do this. This is wrong.' But instead, nobody stepped up and intervened to stop it from happening."
In response to the allegations, American Airlines stated to The Post, "We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us. Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people."
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