American Airlines
has announced that it has officially settled the racial discrimination lawsuit that three African American men filed. Flight attendants deplaned the men deplaned due to supposed body odor.
The airline has settled the lawsuit
for an undisclosed amount. In addition, the flight attendants involved in the incident have been fired. Showing that there was an element of wrongdoing on the airline’s part.
The lawsuit
On May 29th, three African American men filed a federal racial discrimination lawsuit against American Airlines in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York. The three men alleged that they were removed from an American Airlines flight due to racial discrimination
.
Photo: Cassiohabib | Shutterstock
The incident that prompted the lawsuit occurred on January 5th of this year on a flight connecting Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
(PHX) with the New York City
Area. After boarding, eight passengers were forced to deplane after a flight attendant complained about a foul odor in the cabin. All eight of the passengers who were deplaned were black.
All the passengers were later allowed to board the aircraft again after it was determined that no other flights could carry the deplaned passengers. It was also identified that none of the deplaned passengers caused the foul odor.
The three passengers who filed the lawsuit sought damages for a traumatic event. The lawsuit cited Civil War-era legislation barring discrimination on race in contracts.
The settlement
On Thursday, December 19th, American Airlines announced that the lawsuit had been settled and that the parties had come to an ‘amicable resolution’, which means that the airline has chosen to pay damages to the plaintiffs without going to trial.
Photo: Norfolk International Airport
According to ABC News, the company released a statement saying:
“The agreement allows all parties to move forward and focus on what matters most – ensuring a safe and inclusive travel experience for every customer.”
The three men stood by the claim that they weren’t responsible for any odor, weren’t even seated near each other, and didn’t know one another until they were grouped together and deplaned.
The plaintiff’s attorney spoke to the media about their win, saying:
“We are very pleased that American Airlines took our complaint seriously and we hope that this never happens to Black passengers or any other people of color again. Our goal in speaking out has always been to create change. We are proud that we used our voices to make a difference in the lives of Black Americans.”
Photo: Greg K__ca | Shutterstock
Robert Isom, American Airlines Chief Executive Officer, also spoke on the matter in a note to American Airlines staff in June, saying:
“I am incredibly disappointed by what happened on that flight and the breakdown of our procedures. We fell short of our commitments and failed our customers in this incident.”
The incident showed that racial discrimination is still a real issue for people of color and minorities in the aviation industry today. The airline also let itself down by allowing the incident to occur in the first place. It is apparent that changes will be made to how they handle similar situations in the future.
Simple Flying has reached out to American Airlines for a comment.
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