American Airlines settles lawsuit filed by 3 Black men who were ordered off a flight

AP Business Writer

American Airlines said Thursday it has settled a federal race discrimination lawsuit filed by three Black men who were ordered to deboard a flight last January.

Financial details of the settlement weren’t released. American called it an “amicable resolution” to the lawsuit, which was filed in May in federal court in New York.

“The agreement allows all parties to move forward and focus on what matters most – ensuring a safe and inclusive travel experience for every customer,” the company said in a statement.

The plaintiffs – Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph and Xavier Veal – said they and five other Black men were ordered to deboard an American flight from Phoenix to New York on Jan. 5, 2024, after a flight attendant complained about an unidentified passenger’s body odor.

In their lawsuit, the three men said they weren’t responsible for any body odor, weren’t seated near each other and didn’t know each other before the incident. American offered to rebook them, but when it became clear after about an hour that there were no other available flights to New York that evening, they were allowed to reboard the plane.

American Airlines has since fired the flight attendants responsible for the incident, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said.

“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,” the plaintiffs said in a statement. “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.”

In a note to American Airlines staff in June, CEO Robert Isom said the incident was unacceptable.

“I am incredibly disappointed by what happened on that flight and the breakdown of our procedures,” Isom wrote. “We fell short of our commitments and failed our customers in this incident.”