The New York Times reports the trio claims they were asked to temporarily leave a flight, along with five other Black men, over a complaint by a flight attendant.
Group Removed Over “Body Odor” Complaint from Flight Attendant
According to their account, the men were traveling aboard a flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). After boarding, the three claim that, along with five other Black men, they were systematically asked to leave the aircraft. None of the flyers were traveling together, or even knew each other prior to the incident.
When they pressed the flight crew about the reason why they were asked to leave, an attendant allegedly told the group they were asked to deboard over a complaint of “body odor.” They also reportedly said that the complaint came from a white crew member. When they told the crew member that they felt it was discrimination, the flight attendant supposedly told the group: “I agree, I agree.”
All of the flyers were ultimately allowed to reboard the flight and continue on to their destination in New York. One said they wanted to speak to an airline representative about what happened, but they said they were directed to the terminal. They further told the newspaper no customer service agents were available after landing.
In a statement to The New York Times, American 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.” Without addressing the lawsuit, the airline said they were investigating the situation.
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