American Airlines settles discrimination lawsuit after Black passengers were ejected for ‘body odor’

The terms of the settlement were confidential

American Airlines has settled a race discrimination lawsuit brought by three men who said they were forced off a plane early this year because of “body odor.”

The parties agreed to a confidential settlement on Thursday, according to court documents reviewed by The Independent. A representative for the airline told The Independent that American Airlines is “committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment to all customers.”

Plaintiffs and former passengers Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal responded in a joint statement: “We are very pleased that American Airlines took our complaint seriously and we hope that this never happens to Black passengers or any other people of color again. Our goal in speaking out has always been to create change.  We are proud that we used our voices to make a difference in the lives of Black Americans.”

The settlement included a commitment by the airline to take action to prevent discrimination in the future, though exact provisions were not immediately available.

The three men filed the lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York in May claiming they and five other Black male passengers were ordered in January to exit Flight 832 in Phoenix before takeoff to JFK in New York.

A representative for the airline told the men to leave the plane after a flight attendant reportedly complained that the men had a foul body odor. Once they exited and were gathered at the gate, the men realized that only Black male passengers had been ordered off the aircraft.

“The plaintiffs were not responsible for any odor, were not seated together, and did not know each other before the incident,” said a statement from the Public Citizen Litigation Group and the Outten & Golden LLP law firm.

The men were not explicitly told that they personally had “offensive body odor,” according to court documents. But the pilot reportedly explained to other travelers on the plane that the men were removed because of a concern about body odor.

The men complained to an airline representative at the gate that it appeared they had been kicked off because of their race. Their complaint reported that the representative replied: “I agree. I agree.”

Agents spent an hour trying to rebook the men on other flights but were unsuccessful, which caused significant delays in their travel plans.

Passengers check their baggage at the American Airlines check-in desk in Portland International Airport (Getty Images)

The men were eventually allowed back on the flight when it became apparent they could not be rebooked that same evening. The plaintiffs called the incident traumatic, upsetting, scary, humiliating and degrading, noted court documents.

American Airlines has fired the flight attendants responsible for the men’s removal. 

It’s not the first time the airline has been accused of racism. The NAACP previously issued a travel advisory warning its members against flying with the airline, claiming they might be exposed to discriminatory, disrespectful or unsafe conditions. The advisory stated that the airline had a pattern that could not be dismissed as normal or random.

A month before the incident involving the plaintiffs, a Black retired judge from Chicago filed a complaint with American Airlines saying she was blocked from using a first-class bathroom on a flight even though she had a first-class ticket.