EEOC v. Morgan Stanley
In January of 2024, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal boarded American Airlines Flight 832 from Phoenix to New York. The plaintiffs had never met each other before that day, and they were not seated together on the plane.
Before takeoff, American Airlines approached the plaintiffs one-by-one and ordered them to deboard the plane without explanation. Five other Black male passengers were also removed from the plane. As they gathered on the jet bridge, it appeared that every Black man had been removed from the plane.
Once they arrived at the gate, American Airlines told the men they would not be allowed back on Flight 832 and would need to be rebooked. The men demanded answers for why they were removed, but American Airlines refused to give them an immediate explanation.
Eventually, an American Airlines representative informed the plaintiffs that they were removed because a white male flight attendant had complained about an unidentified passenger’s body odor. Notably, at no time did anyone accuse any of the plaintiffs of having offensive body odor. When the plaintiffs pointed out that they seemingly had been targeted because of their skin color, at least one American representative responded that she did “not disagree.”
After about an hour-long delay, American Airlines informed the plaintiffs that there were no other flights available that evening. It then reversed its decision and let the men reboard Flight 832.
The lawsuit further alleges that American Airlines has a documented history of race discrimination against passengers of color. In 2017, the NAACP issued a travel advisory warning Black passengers about “disrespectful, discriminatory, or unsafe conditions” on American Airlines.
The plaintiffs were humiliated and traumatized by their experience flying on American Airlines. They filed a lawsuit to hold the airline accountable so that this type of racial profiling does not happen to anyone else.
The plaintiffs filed a stipulation of voluntary dismissal on December 19, 2024. The terms of the settlement are confidential but include a commitment by American Airlines to take action to prevent discrimination in the future.
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, said the three plaintiffs, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal. 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.
