Several American Airlines employees have been placed on leave in response to their involvement in a January incident where black passengers were removed from a flight due to a complaint about body odor. The carrier now faces a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination.
Three passengers—Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal—filed a lawsuit in May, claiming racial bias during the January 5 flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City. “American Airlines singled us out for being black, embarrassed us, and humiliated us,” the men stated. Eight passengers in total were removed, all of whom were black and did not know each other.
In a note to employees dated June 18, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom expressed his disapproval of the incident, labeling it “unacceptable.” “We fell short of our commitments and failed our customers,” Isom wrote. He confirmed that those involved have been removed from service.
“We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service,” the airline reiterated in a public statement. In addition to disciplinary actions, American Airlines announced several initiatives to prevent future incidents, including the formation of an advisory group focused on improving the experience of black passengers.
This incident has reignited concerns about racial bias at American Airlines. In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory against the airline due to a pattern of “disrespectful” and “discriminatory” behavior. The advisory was lifted in 2018 after the airline made operational changes. However, the NAACP warned on June 4 of this year that it might reinstate the advisory unless American Airlines addressed the January incident decisively.
Isom emphasized the company’s commitment to civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, to rebuild trust and ensure such incidents do not recur. “We are steadfast in our commitment to working with organizations like the NAACP to rebuild trust,” he stated.
