Three Black men have sued American Airlines for discrimination after they were removed from a New York-bound flight in January.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York Wednesday, alleges that American Airlines engaged in racial discrimination when it ordered the three men off the flight. The men say they were told their removal was due to complaints about body odor.
According to the lawsuit, five other Black men were also removed from the flight.
American Airlines first tried to rebook the passengers on a new flight, but later let them back onto their original plane because there were no alternative flights from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York at the time.
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“We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”
American Airlines has been accused of racial discrimination before. In 2017, the NAACP warned of multiple discrimination and safety issues. It lifted the advisory the next year, saying it had seen improvements from the company.
