Three African American men are suing American Airlines after being removed from a flight bound for New York, alleging racial discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of New York United States District Court, accuses the airline of ejecting them from the aircraft following a white flight attendant's complaint about body odour.
The plaintiffs, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, claim the airline's actions constituted "blatant and egregious race discrimination." On January 5, 2024, the men and five other Black male passengers were abruptly removed from their flight departing from Phoenix, Arizona. According to the lawsuit, the men were not provided with a legitimate reason for their removal and were told to disembark by an airline representative. As they made their way to the exit, they noticed several other Black male passengers being removed from the flight as well, despite not being seated together.
