Dallas (Associated Press):
American Airlines has placed on administrative leave an unspecified number of employees following an incident in which several black passengers were removed from a flight in Phoenix after complaints about body odor.
American's CEO, Robert Isom, said in a memo to employees that the incident was unacceptable.
“I am extremely disappointed by what happened on this flight and the breakdown in our procedures,” Isom said in a memo this week. “This is contrary to our company values. … This incident has caused us to fall short of our promises and has let our customers down.”
Three black passengers sued the airline last month, alleging they were removed from a January flight due to racial discrimination, after a white male flight attendant reportedly complained about an unidentified passenger's body odor.
The men, who did not know each other, said they were sitting separately while waiting for their flight to New York to depart. They said they were among eight passengers, all black men, who were asked to leave the plane.
The men said they demanded an explanation for why they had been removed from the flight when they clashed with airline officials on the boarding bridge. At least one of the men recorded the conversation, and the airline employee appeared to agree that the men had been discriminated against, according to the lawsuit.
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After about an hour's delay, they were allowed back on the plane.
American Airlines declined to disclose how many employees were furloughed or what their positions were. An airline spokesman said the airline is “holding those responsible accountable, including potentially terminating employees.”
Isom said American will form an advisory group to focus on the experiences of Black customers, encourage reporting of alleged discrimination and improve diversity training to “highlight real-world situations that can help recognize and address bias and discrimination.”
In the memo, previously reported by CBS News, Isom said he had discussed the incident with the president of the NAACP. The civil rights group did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
American Airlines has recently faced allegations of discrimination. In 2017, the NAACP issued a warning to black travelers on the airline after several African-American passengers alleged they had been discriminated against by airline employees. American Airlines promised to make improvements, and the NAACP lifted the warning nine months later.
