An interracial couple from Arizona has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines claiming they were taken into custody by law enforcement after the husband was falsely suspected of trafficking his wife by two airline employees and another passenger on their flight.
The incident took place in September 2022, on an American flight from Phoenix to Miami. Anthony Williams, a black retired police officer, and his wife, Katsiarina Sasolka, who is white and a Russian national, were headed for their honeymoon, according to the federal lawsuit filed last week in the Southern District of Florida.
In the lawsuit, the couple claims another passenger suspected Mr. Williams for trafficking his wife and notified airline personnel. Officials did not question the couple during the flight, but upon landing, the couple were escorted off the plane and arrested by local authorities. In the complaint, they say they were “falsely imprisoned.”
Jasmine Rand, attorney representing Mr. Williams and Ms. Shasholka, said in a statement that “American Airlines’ pattern of racial discrimination against passengers is unacceptable” and that the couple’s experience was another example of racial profiling by the carrier.
In a statement, an American spokesman said the carrier is looking into the allegations in the complaint.
“American strives to provide a positive experience for everyone who travels with us,” the spokesperson said.
In 2017, the NAACP issued an advisory to Black travelers about flying on American Airlines due to four reports of racial discrimination. The advisory, which warned travelers about a “corporate culture of racial insensitivity and potential racial bias” at American, was lifted about nine months later after the airline pledged to form a team focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.
The NAACP has an “ongoing dialogue with the company about best practices and the need to focus on fair travel experiences,” said Alicia Mercedes, a spokeswoman for the group.
In December, American said it settled a lawsuit filed by three black men who said they were wrongly removed from a flight last January because of a body odor complaint.
