14 September 2023 , 21:38
793
0
A couple kicked off a flight over claims they had "bad body odour" filed a federal lawsuit against American Airlines claiming they were victims of religious and racial discrimination.
In the civil action, couple Yehuda Yosef Adler and Jennie Adler told how they suffered from "unbearable humiliation, embarrassment and mental and emotional anguish," after being removed
According to Yossi Adler and his wife Jennie, staff at Miami International Airport removed them, and their 19-month-old baby daughter, off the plane and said they couldn't return due to allegations they had "bad body odour".
Speaking to WPLG Local 10 News in 2019, Mr Adler said: "All of a sudden, as soon as they took us off, they closed the gate and then they said, 'Sorry sir, some people complained you had body odour and we're not letting you back on'." His wife claims they were so confused about the whole thing, they stopped people in the airport to find out whether they did in fact smell.
The family stopped to ask people in the airport if they had body odourAfter being kicked off the plane, the family say they were told their luggage would be returned to them, but that didn't happen and they were left with just the clothes on their back. Everything they needed to look after their child, including a car seat and stroller, were left on the plane.
Red Arrow pilot forced to send out emergency alert after bird smashes into jet
The couple and their daughter, who are Orthodox Jews, had just sat when a gate agent allegedly told Yehuda Yosef Adler: "Sir, there's an emergency and you must deplane," the lawsuit states.
"Once outside, defendant's agent told Mr. Adler that the pilot was booting the family off the plane because of body odor," the family's Houston-based lawyer Nwadi Nwogu wrote in the suit.
"Mr. Adler asked the agent if the body odor was emanating from him, his wife or child and the agent would not respond to the question but continued to state that the Adlers must leave the plane at the instruction of the pilot and because they had extremely offensive body odor," the suit says.
The Adlers told airline staff they had bathed early that day, prior to their morning flight.
It's unclear what happened after the lawsuit was filed - a docket shows no updates since February 2020.
In a statement, American Airlines said: "Mr Adler and his wife were removed from the flight when several passengers complained about their body odour. They have been booked into a hotel for the night and given meal vouchers. They have been rebooked on a flight Thursday."
Despite this, Mr Adler has accused the airline of targeting his family because they're Jewish. In a video showing the father speaking heatedly to airport staff after being kicked off the plane, he can be heard saying: "There's a religious reason for some reason that they're kicking me off the plane." He adds: "We don't have odour, ok? Nobody here has odour."
The Texas-based airline issued a statement after the lawsuit was filed reiterating their claim that several passengers and crew members had complained of a body odor.
“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 statement said. “None of the decisions made by our team in handling this sensitive situation were based on the Adler’s (sic) religion.”