American Airlines Agrees to Settlement in Discrimination Lawsuit

American Airlines has agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the company. The case was initiated by three Black men who were temporarily removed from an aircraft at the urging of white flight attendants. Details of the settlement were not disclosed. However, according to the plaintiffs' attorneys, the agreement includes a clear commitment from American Airlines to prevent future discrimination. In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed that they and five other Black men were removed from a flight to New York from Phoenix, Arizona, in January. The white crew had complained about a passenger with an unpleasant body odor. However, according to the plaintiffs, none of them exhibited any noticeable odor. The incident was described as traumatic and humiliating for the men. American Airlines was accused of violating a Civil War-era law prohibiting racial discrimination in contracts. There are currently no comments from the airline. When the lawsuit was filed, the airline emphasized that it takes allegations of discrimination seriously and was investigating the incident. The lawyers for the three men stated that American Airlines had dismissed the flight attendants involved and had committed to providing a "positive experience for customers." In 2017, the NAACP had already advised travelers against flying with American Airlines after several racially motivated incidents were reported. The travel advisory was lifted the following year after the company revised its policies and conducted unconscious bias training.