ODOR IN THE COURT: American Airlines Settles Suit With Black Men Over Odor-Related Removals

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American Airlines has settled a lawsuit filed by three Black men, who accused the airline in May of racial discrimination for forcing them off a plane because of a complaint about body odor.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Public Citizen Litigation Group, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the men, said the agreement included “a commitment by American to take action to prevent discrimination in the future.”

The airline fired the flight attendants involved in removing Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, Xavier Veal and other unidentified Black male passengers from the plane in January. According to the lawsuit, the complaint about body odor came from a White male flight attendant.

“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,” Jackson, Joseph and Veal said in a statement Thursday. “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.”

Jackson, Joseph and Veal did not know each other before the flight, but the three exchanged contact information at baggage claim after landing in New York City. After being removed from the plane in Phoenix, they were eventually allowed to board again and finish their trips home. They filed the federal lawsuit in May, and lawyers then released video footage of the stunned passengers asking American Airlines employees why they were taken off the flight. The lawsuit said that none of the plaintiffs had offensive body odor, nor did anyone directly accuse the men of such.

American’s CEO, Robert Isom, called the situation “unacceptable” in a note to staff in June. In that letter, he said the airline was already making changes, including implementing new training for staff, establishing an advisory group to improve travel for Black passengers, updating processes for handling allegations of discrimination and evaluating policies over removing people from flights.

“I am incredibly disappointed by what happened on that flight and the breakdown of our procedures,” Isom wrote. “We fell short of our commitments and failed our customers in this incident.”

In a statement Thursday, the airline said it was committed to providing its customers with a “welcoming and inclusive environment” and described the settlement as an “amicable resolution.”

“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 statement said.

Lawyers for the three men lauded American for taking the incident seriously and coming to an agreement.

“American Airlines’ commitment to take concrete actions to address discrimination is a significant departure from the way public companies have historically dealt with individual race discrimination claims,” Susan Huhta, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement. “We are pleased to have reached a resolution that will allow these brave men to move forward with their heads held high.”

(c) 2024, The Washington Post · Hannah Sampson 

3 COMMENTS

  1. Insane. and if they really had a bad body odor that made it unpleasant for people around them in tight quarters, would it make one iota of difference if they were black, white or green?

  2. Wasn’t there a story in 2019 about visibly Jewish Yossi Adler and his family (including a 19-month old) kicked off a flight for the same excuse? I don’t remember reading then about anyone being fired or even an apology.

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