A Jewish family is suing American Airlines for discrimination after being removed from a flight, according to a lawsuit filed in court this week. While the airline argues the couple was removed due to their “extremely offensive body odor,” Yehuda Yosef Adler and Jennie Adler say they were kicked off due to their apparent Jewish appearance, the lawsuit claims. The couple was flying from Miami to Detroit on an American Airlines flight with their then 19-month-old daughter last year when the incident occurred, the Detroit Free Press reported. The Adlers are seeking a jury trial and suing for racial and religious discrimination on the basis that the removal was anti-Semitic. They were wearing traditional Orthodox Jewish attire including a yarmulke and sheitel, the court document said.
The family was removed from the plane shortly after boarding when an American Airlines agent told them there was an emergency. Fearing something had happened to their eight other children, Adler told The Washington Post, he and his wife immediately got off the plane. Once back at the gate, the couple alleged an American Airlines agent told them he knew that “Orthodox Jews take baths once a week,” and they were removed from the plane because of their smell. According to the lawsuit, the couple was surprised because they had showered earlier and never received complaints regarding their body odor on prior flights. The family then approached more than 20 people near the gate to ask if they smelled unpleasant, and “each and every person… answered in the negative,” the lawsuit said.
American Airlines maintained the decision was made to assuage the “concern” and ensure the “comfort” of other passengers, and religion was not a factor. “Our team members took care of the family and provided hotel accommodations and meals, and rebooked them on a flight to Detroit the next morning,” the airline’s statement said. “None of the decisions made by our team in handling this sensitive situation were based on the Adler’s (sic) religion.”
While the Adlers were put on another flight, the plane they were originally on left with their luggage, child’s car seat, stroller, and diapers. According to the lawsuit, the family was “deeply humiliated” and the disrespect they faced did not begin with their removal from the plane. Adler detailed an incident onboard the plane in which he asked a flight attendant for headphones and received a “nasty and humiliating” comment in response from a nearby pilot, the lawsuit said.
In addition to feeling “humiliated” at the time of the incident, the Adlers said they have “suffered emotional damages” and “been subjected to widespread ridicule” resulting from the accusation that they have “offensive body odor,” the lawsuit said. They were made to feel “inferior [...] dirty and unwelcome.” The lawsuit added that the statement regarding the family’s body odor was shared across the internet and media, causing severe mental distress for the couple and their family. According to the lawsuit, “today, a search of ‘body odor’ includes results showing the Adler name.”
While it is unclear, at this time, whether or not American Airlines removed the couple due to religious bias, there is no doubt they are emotionally scarred from the incident and that the comment made by the gate agent is a clear case of religious discrimination and stereotyping. The experience has left the family with a loss of appetite, emotional distress, and a fear of airports and flying, all of which could have been prevented had the situation been handled differently.