Three men have sued American Airlines, alleging racial discrimination after being removed from a flight from Phoenix to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on January 5, 2024. Plaintiffs Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal claim they were kicked off Flight 832 without any valid reason, based solely on their race
Filed on May 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the complaint accuses American Airlines of “blatant and egregious race discrimination.” The plaintiffs, along with five other Black male passengers who did not know each other or travel together, were allegedly removed from the plane due to a complaint about body odor.
As a result of the incident, several American Airlines employees involved have been placed on leave. In a statement to employees, CEO Robert Isom acknowledged the company’s shortcomings, stating that the incident was unacceptable and that the airline “fell short” of its commitment to customers. “We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service,” the statement read.
American Airlines has announced initiatives to prevent future incidents, including forming an advisory group focused on the experience of Black passengers. In the lawsuit, Jackson, Joseph, and Veal detailed how they were singled out, embarrassed, and humiliated. Although they were eventually allowed to retake their seats, the emotional and psychological impact remains.
CEO Robert Isom expressed his disappointment in a letter dated June 18, highlighting the airline’s commitment to working with civil rights organizations like the NAACP to rebuild trust. “We fell short of our commitments and failed our customers,” he admitted.
This is not the first time American Airlines has faced allegations of discrimination. In 2017, the NAACP advised Black travelers to avoid the airline due to a pattern of disrespectful and discriminatory behavior. Although the advisory was lifted the following year after operational changes, the NAACP has warned it could reinstate the warning unless American Airlines provides a swift and decisive response to the January incident.