AFT President on Rev. Barber's Civil Rights Lawsuit Against American Airlines

WASHINGTON - December 14, 2016 -Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II's federal civil rights lawsuit against American Airlines:

"It is horrifying that an African-American man on one of America's great airlines was subject to the same racist, discriminatory and humiliating treatment as African-Americans were decades ago. The fact that he happens to be one of the nation's most prominent civil rights leaders gives him the agency to shine a light on this. That American Airlines would treat a major civil rights leader like this is disgraceful and should shock the conscience of all Americans.

"During the boarding process on an American Airlines flight, Barber calmly and politely requested that two white passengers seated behind him keep their voices down. The passengers proceeded to hurl insults about the reverend's disability and race. His complaints to the flight attendant were dismissed, and eventually police officers boarded the plane. After getting only the two white passengers' side of the story, Barber was ordered off the plane. This is racism, plain and simple, and a clear violation of Barber's federally protected civil rights. Sadly, in the last several months, we have seen hundreds of despicable incidents of racism, bigotry, bullying and intimidation that must be called out and stopped. Whether it's American Airlines or an individual, it is morally and legally wrong and must not be tolerated.

"It doesn't have to be this way. American Airlines can follow Delta Airlines' lead. In a similar incident recently, Delta Airlines failed to remove a passenger for berating other passengers who supported Hillary Clinton. A few days later, the Delta CEO apologized publicly and issued a lifetime ban for the offender to fly on Delta."

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The American Federation of Teachers is a union of 1.6 million professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.