By Pamela Hill-Veal, a retired circuit court judge from Illinois, has filed a complaint against American Airlines alleging racial discrimination during a flight from Chicago to Phoenix on February 10.
Hill-Veal, who is Black, claims that a flight attendant confronted her for using the first-class restroom and accused her of slamming the door, despite no complaints from other passengers.
According to the complaint obtained by NPR, Hill-Veal was traveling with her family in first class when the incident occurred.
She says the flight attendant stopped her as she was returning to her seat, reprimanding her for allegedly slamming the restroom door.
Later, when Hill-Veal used the same restroom, the attendant confronted her again, instructing her to use the restroom in the back of the plane.
Hill-Veal believes the incident was racially motivated, pointing out that the flight attendant did not instruct white passengers using the same restroom to use the one in the back.
She also alleges that the flight attendant falsely accused her of hitting him and threatened to have her arrested upon landing.
American Airlines has stated that they are in contact with Hill-Veal to learn more about her experience and take all claims of discrimination seriously.
However, this is not the first time the airline has faced accusations of discrimination. In 2023, track star Sha’Carri Richardson and musician David Ryan Harris both had high-profile incidents with the airline.
The incident, according to Hill-Veal, left her traumatized and humiliated, making her uncomfortable about flying due to fears of false accusations.
She filed the complaint to address the alleged discriminatory treatment she experienced.
Credit: NPR.com
