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Discrimination Suits Hit Four Airlines

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pilot773

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May 14, 2002
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Discrimination Suits Hit Four Airlines
Tue Jun 4,12:40 PM ET
By Niala Boodhoo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Civil rights groups filed lawsuits against four major airlines on Tuesday, alleging discrimination against five men who were removed from flights after the Sept. 11 attacks because they looked Middle Eastern.


The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee named United Airlines (news - web sites), American Airlines (news - web sites), Continental Airlines (news - web sites) and Northwest Airlines (news - web sites) in the suits filed in federal court in Maryland, New Jersey and California.

The lawsuits were filed on behalf of the five men -- four U.S. citizens and one permanent resident -- who the groups said were ejected from flights for reasons unrelated to security and simply because of their perceived Middle East appearance or origin.

The suits ask the court to find that the airlines violated the plaintiffs civil rights and for the airlines to implement measure to prevent future discrimination.

About 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 hijacked airliner attacks, which the U.S. government has blamed on Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s militant Islamic al Qaeda network.

Of the four planes hijacked on that day, two belonged to American Airlines and two were United aircraft. Two were flown into New York's World Trade Center, a third smashed into the Pentagon (news - web sites) in Washington and the fourth slammed into a Pennsylvania field.

The civil right groups said only two of the five men denied travel were of Arab descent.

"These cases show that people of many different ethnicities are being subjected to arbitrary and humiliating discrimination by airlines across the country," said Jayashri Srikantiah, an attorney for the ACLU in a statement. "A country as diverse as the United States should have no tolerance for this kind of discrimination."

The government denies it is engaging in racial profiling, noting that tougher security measures since Sept. 11 target passengers for myriad reasons, including those who buy one-way tickets or use cash to pay for expensive airline seats.

The Transportation Department on Monday said consumers filed 18 complaints in April -- the latest data available -- alleging discrimination by airlines due to factors other than disabilities, such as race, religion, national origin or sex.

The department received 35 such complaints in March.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta (news - web sites) opposes racial profiling of airline passengers, but security has been tightened around the country and many Arab Americans and other minorities have complained of unfair treatment.
 
All I had to read was the first line...the ACLU....what a bunch of communists! Those guys will never get it. How come I don't see any of them rushing to help pilots not get profiled? The ACLU only fights for liberties of left-wing organizations. The are the exact people we all should be fighting against.
 
Let's get this one to a jury in New York or Boston ASAP.
 
I cant believe it would make it that far. These guys are alway comming with this crap.
 
sad part

The sad part is if the gov't had acted on info about the sky jacking
and arrested 20 Middle Eastern men that prevented the attack without hard evidence, they would have ben sued the same way by the hi jackers.
 
If the airlines had refused service to 5 white males, nothing would ever be heard of it, anywhere, period.
Funny how the ACLU never investigates the rampant reverse discrimination occuring towards white males in the US, and indeed in the Airline industry, today.
 
Have to agree with jetexas. We are becoming the minority....when african americans gather to celebrate their heritage(million man march type stuff) its ok. If a bunch of white guys did this....it would be racist, and would probably be compared to the kkk or some supremecist group. I do not agree with the kk or supremecy groups...just making a comparison.

How about all the colleges that give minorities bonus pts because they are a minority...what do we get?? A rejection letter.

Throw that in with people being able to sue for every and anything....this is what happens. I dont agree with people being kicked off flights necessarily...but if we were in an arab country and a white guy pulled some terrorist cr@p, and we tried to board there airline, we would not only be denied, but probably shot dead.

there...im done...just my opinion, so dont take offense

1900cpt:mad:
 
skydiverdriver said:
All I had to read was the first line...the ACLU....what a bunch of communists!

I always find it amusing that people confuse "leftist" with communism. I sincerely doubt that any real communists are the slightest bit interested in civil liberties. In other words, the ACLU is very much a democratic/capitalist proponant.

How come I don't see any of them rushing to help pilots not get profiled?

I must have missed it. When/where are pilots being illegally discriminated against?

The ACLU only fights for liberties of left-wing organizations.

Not true. They defended Neo Nazi groups as well.

The are the exact people we all should be fighting against.

I not sure you even comprehend the hypocrisy of that statement. What exactly is the opposite of civil liberties? Dictatorship or fascism. Carefull what you ask for...

To no one in particular:
Folks, let's get something straight here: Captains have every right to do what they feel is necessary for the safety of their flight. But after 9/11 tensions were running rather high and I think it's safe to say that none of the people booted off airplanes for appearing "suspicious" were actually dangerous. Time has passed and we're all a bit calmer now. I think those that were wronged are entitled to official apologies and a reasonable amount of compensation. Let's say we've all learned a lesson and move on from here.
 
I must have missed it. When/where are pilots being illegally discriminated against?

I dont think we are illegally searched, but i do think that its ridiculous that crews seem to be the majority of people "randomly" searched. If we search some foreigner or ask them to take their turban off....we will get sued. But crews have to take their hats off.

Hell, why is it discriminatory to have them have their turban searched?? Isnt it fair since they require everyone else to practically disrobe.

I think those that were wronged are entitled to official apologies and a reasonable amount of compensation. Let's say we've all learned a lesson and move on from here.

Reasonable compensation??? How would that be determined? How about that lady that sued McDonalds because she burned her mouth i think, on that cup of McDonalds coffee. She got a few million because the cup wasnt labled "hot liquid".......HELLO...ARE YOU STUPID....COFFE=HOT...unless you just got a ICED COFFEE from dunkin doughnuts or something.

Reasonable in most people minds is .....THE MOST THEY CAN GET. I dont disagree with compensation....but lets get real here folks.

1900cpt
 
1900cpt said:
Reasonable compensation??? How would that be determined? How about that lady that sued McDonalds because she burned her mouth i think, on that cup of McDonalds coffee. She got a few million because the cup wasnt labled "hot liquid".......HELLO...ARE YOU STUPID....COFFE=HOT...unless you just got a ICED COFFEE from dunkin doughnuts or something.

You're right about the coffee burn lady. But what's that got to do with being thrown off an airplane? You want my opinion of "reasonable compensation", I'd say a couple of free first-class tickets. But it ain't up to me it's up to the courts.
 

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