The lawsuit, filed by Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal in the US district court for the eastern district of New York, stems from an incident that occurred on January 5th during a flight from Phoenix, Arizona to New York.

According to the lawsuit, the three men, who had never met before the flight and were not seated together, were approached individually by an American Airlines representative before takeoff. They were asked to deboard the plane without any explanation. Shockingly, they noticed that five other Black male passengers were also being asked to leave the aircraft, leading them to believe that every Black man on the flight was being targeted for removal.

After being removed from the plane, the men were allegedly informed by an American Airlines representative that they would not be allowed to fly on the same flight and had to rebook their trip. They were told that a white male flight attendant had complained about an unidentified passenger's body odor, resulting in their removal. However, no accusations were made regarding the plaintiffs' body odor.

When the three men pointed out the possibility of racial discrimination, at least one American Airlines representative reportedly did not disagree. The pilot then announced to the remaining passengers that the men had been removed due to a reported body odor complaint.

Following an hour-long delay, the men were eventually allowed to reboard the flight, as there were no other available flights that evening. The incident has sparked outrage, with the plaintiffs stating that they were singled out solely based on the color of their skin, leading to feelings of embarrassment and humiliation.

American Airlines responded to the claims by stating that they take all allegations of discrimination seriously and are committed to ensuring a positive experience for their customers. The airline's teams are currently conducting an investigation into the matter, emphasizing that the alleged incident does not align with their core values or purpose of caring for people.

This lawsuit against American Airlines underscores the ongoing issue of racial discrimination in various sectors of society. It serves as a reminder that efforts towards equality and inclusivity still need to be strengthened to ensure that no individual is unfairly targeted or mistreated based on their race or ethnicity.