Three Black men have sued American Airlines, accusing the company of “blatant race discrimination.”
The lawsuit claimed those three and five other Black men were temporarily removed from a flight on January 5 from Phoenix to New York.
The suit, filed on Wednesday, May 29, by the legal arm of Public Citizen and the law firm Outten & Golden, alleges the men were singled out and removed from the plane without justification.
The incident occurred at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport when an airline employee went row by row, asking the men to disembark.
The plaintiffs noticed that all eight Black men on the flight were asked to leave despite not knowing each other.
Once off the plane, the men inquired about the reason for their removal and were told it was due to a complaint about body odor, although no one had directly accused them of this.
The complaint allegedly came from a white flight attendant.
The men allege they were targeted because of their race.
Lawsuit seeks compensation for “fear, humiliation, embarrassment, mental pain, suffering and inconvenience”
In a cellphone recording shared with The New York Times, an airline employee agreed with one of the men’s assertions that the removal was discriminatory.
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American Airlines said: “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.”
The lawsuit seeks compensation for the “fear, humiliation, embarrassment, mental pain, suffering and inconvenience” they endured and punitive damages.
The plaintiffs also call for changes in American Airlines’ policies and practices.
The airline has faced previous accusations of racism, including a 2017 travel advisory from the N.A.A.C.P., which was later lifted after the airline addressed the organization’s concerns.
Michael Kirkpatrick, the lead lawyer from Public Citizen Litigation Group, said: “This case is on behalf of the three individual plaintiffs to seek a remedy for what they went through, but it’s bigger than that.
“What we’re hoping to accomplish with this case is some changes going forward where American Airlines will be reforming their practices and making a change in their culture.”
