A lawsuit filed Wednesday on behalf of three Black men accuses American Airlines of “blatant and egregious race discrimination” following their removal from a flight. According to the complaint, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, Xavier Veal, and five other Black male passengers were ejected from American Flight 832, traveling from Phoenix to JFK in New York City on January 5, 2024.
The plaintiffs claim they were ordered off the plane by an airline representative without any valid reason, solely based on their race. They complied with the order and, upon reaching the jet bridge, saw that several other Black men were also being removed, leading them to believe that all Black male passengers were being singled out.
The lawsuit further alleges that American Airlines representatives cited a complaint about body odor as the reason for their removal. However, none of the plaintiffs were individually told they had body odor, and the complaint states that none of them had offensive body odor. The suit also claims that at least one American Airlines representative agreed with the plaintiffs’ suggestion that they were being targeted because of their race.
