Three Black men have recently filed a federal lawsuit against American Airlines, accusing the airline of racial discrimination after they were asked to deboard a flight due to a complaint about body odor from an unidentified passenger. The lawsuit, brought by Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal, was filed in the US district court for the eastern district of New York.

The incident took place during a flight from Phoenix, Arizona to New York, New York on 5 January. The men, who did not know each other prior to the flight and were not seated together, were approached individually by an American Airlines representative before takeoff and instructed to leave the plane without explanation.

According to the lawsuit, five other Black male passengers were also asked to deplane, leading the plaintiffs to observe that only Black men were being targeted for removal. The men were informed by the airline representative that they would not be allowed to continue on the flight and would need to rebook their travel.

Upon questioning the reason for their removal, the men were informed that a white male flight attendant had complained about body odor from an unidentified passenger, although none of the plaintiffs were accused of having offensive body odor themselves.

During discussions with American Airlines staff, the men raised concerns about racial profiling, to which at least one representative reportedly acknowledged without disagreement. The pilot of the flight even made an announcement acknowledging the situation to the remaining passengers at the gate.

The lawsuit alleges that the actions taken by American Airlines were racially discriminatory and unjust, particularly as it singled out Black passengers based on unsubstantiated claims. The plaintiffs seek accountability and compensation for the distress caused by the incident.