PHOENIX — Three Black men who sued American Airlines for race discrimination after they were removed from a flight from Phoenix to New York City have agreed to settle the lawsuit.
The settlement terms are confidential but include a commitment by American Airlines to take action to prevent discrimination in the future, according to Emily Leach of the Public Citizen Litigation Group, which represented the men in the lawsuit.
American Airlines has terminated employment of the flight attendants responsible for the men’s removal.
“We are very pleased that American Airlines took our complaint seriously and we hope that this never happens to Black passengers or any other people of color again,” plaintiffs Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean Joseph, and Xavier Veal said in a joint statement.
“Our goal in speaking out has always been to create change. We are proud that we used our voices to make a difference in the lives of Black Americans.”
Black men sue American Airlines: What happened
Jackson, Joseph and Veal did not know each other before the flight and were not seated together, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Their removal from the Jan. 5 flight and their following interactions with American Airlines staff amounted to a “humiliating, degrading and deeply traumatizing” experience, the complaint said.