American Airlines Employees Placed on Leave After Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

American Airlines has placed the employees at the heart of the racial discrimination lawsuit on leave in an effort to “rebuild trust” with its beleaguered consumers, according to a spokesperson.

Late last month, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal sued the airline, claiming that they were subjected to discrimination during a journey from Phoenix to New York in January.

The three men, who were not traveling together and did not know each other before the case was filed, asserted that they were all seated and prepared to leave the plane when a flight attendant allegedly approached them individually and requested that they get off the aircraft. The flight attendant requested five additional males to disembark after approaching them; these individuals, who were Black as well, did not join in the lawsuit.

The white male flight attendant was allegedly complaining about the men’s “body odor.”

Now, in a letter to employees obtained by NPR, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has announced that he’s taking action to restore trust within the company.

“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.”

The letter also claimed that the incident was “unacceptable” and “contradicts” what American Airlines stands for.

Furthermore, according to the BBC, Isom has suspended the employees pending an investigation.

“We are holding those involved accountable, including removing team members from service,” a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement.

According to Isom’s letter, American Airlines is also setting up an advisory group to concentrate on the experiences of Black customers in order to encourage the reporting of discriminatory claims and to enhance diversity training by having it “focus on real-world situations to help recognize and address bias and discrimination,” per the New York Post.

What’s more, this isn’t the first time the airline has found itself at the heart of racial discrimination allegations.

Back in 2017, the NAACP issued an advisory to its members about American Airlines, telling Black travelers that the airline was engaging in “disrespectful” and “discriminatory” behavior and fostering a “corporate culture of racial insensitivity and possible racial bias.” For this reason, the NAACP encouraged Black travelers to avoid the airline.

The advisory was lifted a year later after American Airlines claimed it had changed its corporate policies.

However, in the wake of the recent racial discrimination lawsuit against American Airlines, NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson issued another statement on behalf of the organization, demanding swift and immediate action from American Airlines, and cautioning that the organization would issue another advisory against the airline if it failed to respond to the issue.

“The NAACP is proud to champion efforts to hold corporations accountable,” the statement read, in part. “The removal of our travel advisory in 2018 came as a result of a commitment to deliver on key stipulations that would prevent future discriminatory acts, one of which was a diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory council. Amidst the resurgence of attacks on DEI, American Airlines disbanded the panel in 2023.”

The statement continued: “Recent discriminatory actions from company employees prove that there is a dire need for continued accountability and resolution to this clear pattern. We encourage American Airlines to come revive the advisory panel and reconvene with the NAACP to devise a path forward that ensures equitable experiences for all American Airlines customers. Without a swift and decisive response, the NAACP will be forced to reinstate an advisory against the airline.”

As of this writing, the airline has not directly or publicly responded to the NAACP’s statement or advisory warnings. However, the New York Post states that “Isom claims to have consulted with the civil rights organization about the company’s next steps.”