American Airlines Settles Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Over Passenger Removal
The airline reached a confidential settlement with three Black men removed from a flight after a body odor complaint, pledging measures to prevent future discrimination.
- Three Black men, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, filed a lawsuit after being removed from a January 2024 flight from Phoenix to New York following a flight attendant's body odor complaint.
- The plaintiffs alleged racial discrimination, noting that only Black male passengers were ordered off the plane despite no evidence of offensive body odor.
- American Airlines has fired the flight attendants involved and committed to implementing measures to prevent future incidents, including enhanced training and oversight.
- The settlement terms remain confidential, but the airline described the resolution as amicable, allowing all parties to move forward.
- The incident drew renewed attention to past allegations of racial bias against American Airlines, including a prior NAACP travel advisory issued in 2017.
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