Black men file lawsuit against American Airlines for racial discrimination

Three men have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, accusing the airline of racial discrimination. The men, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, along with five other Black passengers, were removed from a flight after a complaint about body odor, despite not knowing each other and not having offensive body odor themselves.

According to the lawsuit, the men were removed from the flight from Phoenix to New York based solely on their race. American Airlines is currently investigating the allegations raised in the suit. The plaintiffs stated that they were unfairly treated due to the color of their skin, with one staff member reportedly not disagreeing when confronted about it.

The lawsuit details the traumatic and humiliating experience the men went through, including being rebooked on another flight before being allowed to reboard the original flight. This incident is not an isolated case, as the lawsuit points out previous instances of racial discrimination by the airline towards Black passengers.

American Airlines has faced similar accusations in the past, leading to the NAACP issuing a travel advisory in 2017. The advisory was dropped in 2018 after the airline implemented bias training. The airline has also apologized to other passengers, such as musician David Ryan Harris, for similar discriminatory incidents.

In response to the lawsuit, American Airlines stated that they take all claims of discrimination seriously and aim to provide a positive experience for their customers. This latest legal action highlights the ongoing issue of racial discrimination in the airline industry.

(Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include additional details from the lawsuit and provide further context.)