A female passenger has claimed she was kicked off an American Airlines plane because the flight attendant felt threatened of the Black Lives Matter shirt she was wearing.
Imani Cezanne was travelling from Charlotte to Atlanta on Friday when she says she was escorted from the aircraft just because she is black.
The poet and activist posted her ordeal on her Twitter page and said it started when the passenger seated next to her in the exit row had to be moved because they did not speak English.
Cezanne posted: ‘After boarding my flight I sit in an exit row. The couple across the aisle from me does not speak English.
‘They are removed from their seats because “If you don’t speak English you can’t sit in an exit row.” I ask why.
‘Flight Attendant says that if she is unable to explain procedure, she must seat someone else in the exit row. Understood.
‘While speaking with the woman next to me about my concerns I was *interrupted* by FA and asked “Are you going to be a problem?”
‘Why would she ask me that? Is that an appropriate way to speak to a customer who is calmly having a conversation with someone?’
Cezanne claims that the flight attendant then stormed off and returned with a manager who wanted her to be escorted from the plane.
She added: ‘The manager comes to escort me off of the plane. I ask why. She says “because my flight attendant feels threatened.”
‘Nothing about my voice, tone, body language communicated threatening. Other than, of course, this Black body.
‘This is how you can literally be walking away from an officer and be shot dead. Because he felt threatened.’
She also posted a picture of the shirt she was wearing with the caption: ‘What I was wearing when I was unnecessarily ejected from my flight because the FA felt “threatened.” Coincidence?’
The poet also claimed that she was then escorted from the aircraft by two armed officers and says she ‘never believed so strongly that I could die at any moment.’
She also says that she is planning to contact her lawyers and may consider action against American Airlines.
She added: ‘Who knows a lawyer? Specifically one that is well versed in racism/discrimination. American Airlines bout to cash this Black girl out.’
A spokesman for American Airlines said they were now working with Cezanne to resolve the issue.
He said: ‘An unruly passenger was removed from American Eagle Flight 5192, operated by PSA Airlines, from Charlotte to Atlanta due to failure to comply with crew member instructions.
‘The passenger refused to exit aircraft when asked, so local law enforcement was called. We will work with the customer to resolve the issue. American Airlines values diversity and we do not discriminate for any reason.’
Source: Daily Mail