WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Three men filed a lawsuit against American Airlines
Group Inc. (AAL) on May 29, accusing the airline of racial discrimination for
removing them and five other Black passengers from a flight due to a complaint
about body odor.

The lawsuit claims that Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, Xavier Veal, and
five other Black male passengers were taken off American Flight 832 from Phoenix
to JFK in New York City on January 5, 2024, solely because of their race.

According to the complaint, a white flight attendant reported a passenger's
offensive body odor, leading to the removal of the men for about an hour before
they were allowed back on the plane.

'The whole ordeal was traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating, degrading, and
outrageous. American's blatant profiling was malicious and racist,' the lawsuit
adds.

They are seeking damages for pain and suffering, as well as punitive damages for
the airline's alleged discriminatory actions.

American Airlines mentioned in a statement that it is looking into the issue and
stated that the allegations do not align with the company's principles. The
airline expressed, 'We treat all discrimination claims with utmost seriousness
and aim for our customers to have a pleasant experience when they select us for
their flights.'

Susan Huhta, representing the three plaintiffs, stated that the incident is part
of a troubling history of allegations that American Airlines discriminates
against Black passengers.

The lawsuit alleges that there have been other instances of the airline
targeting Black individuals and passengers of color. The lawsuit also mentions
that the NAACP issued a travel advisory in 2017 warning Black travelers about
the airline due to American's alleged racial bias towards Black passengers.

This lawsuit comes in the wake of other incidents involving allegations of
discrimination against Black passengers by American Airlines.



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