Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

American Airlines faces race discrimination lawsuit

The airline temporarily removed three black men from a flight

American Airlines faces race discrimination lawsuit

AMERICAN AIRLINES was accused in a lawsuit on Wednesday (29) of race discrimination for temporarily removing three black men from a flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City.

In a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the plaintiffs said they and five other black men were removed from the flight in January for about an hour after a white flight attendant complained about a passenger with offensive body odor.


But none of the men ordered off the plane had an odor, and had clearly been targeted based on their race because all of them were black, the plaintiffs said in the lawsuit. They called the incident "traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, and degrading."

The men accused the airline of violating a Civil War-era law banning race discrimination in contracts. They are seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering and punitive damages for "malicious, willful ... and reckless conduct."

American Airlines said in a statement it was investigating the matter, and that the claims did not reflect the company's values.

"We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us," the airline said.

Susan Huhta, a lawyer for the three plaintiffs, said in a statement that the incident was part of a "disturbing history" of allegations that American discriminates against black passengers.

Last month, NPR and other outlets reported that a black retired judge from Chicago had filed a complaint with American saying she was blocked from using a first-class bathroom on a flight even though she had a first-class ticket.

And in separate incidents last year, track and field star Sha'Carri Richardson and musician David Ryan Harris, who are black, said on social media that they were falsely accused of wrongdoing by American flight attendants.

Richardson said she was removed from a plane for allegedly harassing an attendant, and Harris said he was suspected of child trafficking while traveling with his biracial children. The airline apologised to Harris and said Richardson was booked on a different flight.

In 2017, the NAACP urged black travelers not to fly American, citing what it said were a series of racially-based incidents. The civil rights organisation withdrew its advisory after the airline agreed to update its policies and train employees on implicit bias.

(Reuters)

More For You

Campbell Wilson

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson steps down as Air India Express chair

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson steps down as Air India Express chair

AIR INDIA CEO Campbell Wilson is stepping down as chair of Air India Express, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary. He will be replaced by Nipun Aggarwal, Air India’s chief commercial officer, according to an internal memo sent on Tuesday.

Wilson will also step down from the board of Air India Express. Basil Kwauk, Air India’s chief operating officer, will take his place.

Keep ReadingShow less
Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

Prince Harry criticised tech companies for citing privacy laws to deny access

Getty

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for stronger protections for children online, warning that not enough is being done to shield young people from the dangers of social media

During a visit to New York, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled a new memorial dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful online content contributed to their deaths. The installation, named the Lost Screen Memorial, features 50 smartphones, each displaying an image of a child lost to what their families describe as the adverse effects of social media. The memorial was made available to the public for 24 hours.

Keep ReadingShow less
Priyanka Chopra Teams Up with John Cena, Idris Elba in 'Heads of State'

An elite MI6 agent played by Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Getty

Priyanka Chopra fronts action thriller ‘Heads of State’ with John Cena, Idris Elba

A dynamic of action, comedy, and political misadventure is set to hit Prime Video this summer with the release of Heads of State. The newly launched trailer teases a fast-paced, explosive ride featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, John Cena, and Idris Elba in lead roles. The film is slated to premiere globally on 2 July 2025.

Directed by Ilya Naishuller, the filmmaker behind Hardcore Henry and Nobody, Heads of State is billed as a cross between Air Force One and Midnight Run. The film places mismatched world leaders at the centre of a chaotic crisis that forces them to work together, despite their egos and rivalries.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

Afghan refugees arrive at a camp near the Torkham border last Sunday (20)

Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

MORE than 100,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the past three weeks, the interior ministry said on Tuesday (22), after Islamabad announced the cancellation of residence permits.

Calling Afghans “terrorists and criminals”, the Pakistan government launched its mass eviction campaign on April 1. Analysts said the expulsions are designed to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, which Islamabad blames for fuelling a rise in border attacks.

Keep ReadingShow less