Allegiant Air has responded to allegations of racial profiling after a group of African-American teens were removed from a flight from Mesa, Arizona to Sacramento, California last week.
According to Sacramento's CBS13, the four boys were members of a basketball team and were returning home on February 8 when flight attendants requested that they wear their face masks properly covering both their nose and mouth.
"And they said that we was disobeying when they first asked us even though all our teammates said 'yes ma'am,' and pulled it above our nose," Brian Buchanan, Jr. told the news outlet, noting that witnesses, including Amy Flanagan, agreed that they were in compliance.
"I did not hear anything disruptive, disrespectful," she told CBS13. "They weren't doing anything that made me think that warranted them getting kicked off. I think it was just really disturbing honestly."
After being escorted off the flight by police, the boys were eventually picked up by their coach, who was able to get them a room for the night. They flew home the next day on a different airline.
One of the teen's mothers, Kiondra Phipps, accused the airline of discriminating against the group because of their skin color. "You're telling me that because somebody's mask slipped below their nose, that they have to be taken off the plane completely," she said. "Sixteen and 17-year-olds? And you don't tell their parents? You don't care what happens to them? That doesn't happen to people that aren't brown."
In a statement, Allegiant claimed the boys repeatedly refused requests to wear their masks correctly and became belligerent with the flight crew. The airline cited strict policy for removing them from the flight and noted that diversity and inclusion are among the company's core values.
"The party referenced aboard flight 208 on February 8 refused to comply with federal regulations requiring the wearing of face coverings throughout travel," an Allegiant spokesperson told Fox News. "Following repeated refusals to comply on board the aircraft, the party was deplaned from the flight. The passengers in this party failed to sustain compliance with repeated crew member requests to wear face coverings properly (over their nose and mouth). Flight crew members were met with belligerent, dismissive comments."
"Refusal to wear a face-covering is a violation of federal law and can result in denial of boarding, removal from the aircraft, as well as additional penalties including federal fines. As part of their duties in ensuring safe travel for all passengers on board, flight crews are responsible for monitoring compliance. Incidents of non-compliance are reported to the Transportation Security Administration for additional review, as failure to follow flight crew instructions also violates federal regulations," the spokesperson added. "A decision to deplane passengers is never made lightly but is determined in accordance with regulations, and in the interest of ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew throughout the duration of the flight. Incidents are also reviewed internally by the company, and in some egregious cases have resulted in passengers being banned from travel on Allegiant in the future."
Airlines have banned thousands of passengers for violating face mask policies in recent months. In addition to being banned, travelers risk hefty fines for refusing to comply with mandatory face mask requirements.
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