Black Passengers Sue American Airlines for Alleged Racial Discrimination
Three Black men are suing American Airlines for alleged racial discrimination, arguing that they were removed from their January flight from Phoenix to New York over a complaint 'about an unidentified passenger's body odor.'...
Facts
- Three Black men are suing American Airlines for alleged racial discrimination, arguing that they were removed from their January flight from Phoenix to New York over a complaint 'about an unidentified passenger's body odor.'1
- The plaintiffs say that they, along with five other Black men, were asked to step off the plane for an hour and a half. The men claim the action was discriminatory because they didn't smell bad and the only passengers removed were Black.2
- The plaintiffs also said that before the incident everything was normal, adding that they didn't know one another nor were they seated together.3
- A video recording also captured an employee telling the frustrated men, 'I do not disagree with you.' Since the airline couldn't find the men another flight, they were eventually allowed back on the plane.4
- The lawsuit filing claims the experience was 'traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading.' American Airlines said it is 'investigating the matter' and that the allegations 'do not reflect our core values.'4
- American Airlines is accused of violating a Civil War-era law prohibiting racial discrimination in contracts. The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified damages.2
Sources: 1BBC News, 2FOX News, 3thehill.com and 4New York Post.
Narratives
- Progressive narrative, as provided by The Daily Beast. It's remarkable that in the year 2024, Black men in America have to face treatment that's reminiscent of the civil rights era. To make things worse, the other men removed from the plane, who were apparently from different countries, had to deal with this during their visit to the US.
- Conservative narrative, as provided by Manhattan Institute. Racism still exists, but its prevalence has been blown out of proportion. At the beginning of this century, the vast majority of all Americans believed race relations were good, but now that videos of statistically rare incidents go viral quickly, the public thinks racism is everywhere all the time. That's not the case.
