Several American Airlines employees have been placed on leave following an incident where black passengers were removed from a flight for offensive body odor.
The incident, which occurred on January 5, led to a lawsuit filed in May by three passengers alleging racial discrimination.
In a message to employees, CEO Robert Isom labeled the incident as unacceptable and stated that the company failed to meet its customer service standards.
Offensive Odor
The lawsuit claims that every black man on the flight from Phoenix, Arizona, to New York City was removed because of offensive odor.
Eight passengers who were not sitting with each other were taken off the flight, the lawsuit said.
First Incident of Such
In a letter to employees on June 18, Isom expressed his disappointment over the incident, acknowledging a failure in the company’s procedures and customer commitment.
This is the first time an American Airline has been subjected to a lawsuit over discrimination against the black community.
