3 Black men sue American Airlines citing discrimination

On Wednesday, three Black men sued on American Airlines, claiming discrimination.

Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph and Xavier Veal, all from New York City, were part of a group of around 8 Black men who were taken off an American Airlines flight after a complaint of body odor.

“They immediately realized what this was racism,” attorney Lindsay Goldbrum said.

Goldbrum is an attorney representing the three men.

“They began asking what was going on, why they had been pulled off, why it was all Black men that had been pulled off the plane, and eventually they’re told that there was a complaint by a white male flight attendant about body odor,” she said.

According to Goldbrum, the three did not know each other and were not seated near one another on the layover flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to John F. Kennedy Airport.

Goldbrum said they were told they had to be rebooked on another flight, but there were no other flights that evening, so the airline let them re-board the plane.

“You have to imagine what it felt like for these men to re-board the plane, and have all of the eyes looking at them, knowing that someone had been removed because of body odor. It was incredibly distressing for them,” she said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for American Airlines said, “We take all claims of discrimination very seriously and want our customers to have a positive experience when they choose to fly with us. Our teams are currently investigating the matter, as the claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people.”

Goldbrum said the incident delayed the flight by an hour.

All three men want accountability and change so that this never happens again, she said.