In 2019, a couple along with their 19-month old daughter was booted off an American Airlines flight allegedly due to their body odor. New court documents revealed that the lawsuit filed by the couple against American Airlines was dismissed.
Yehuda Yosef Adler along with his wife Jennie and daughter were escorted off a flight because passengers complained of their body odor.
Yosef told WPLG Local 10 News, “All of a sudden, as soon as they took us off, they closed the gate and then they said, ‘Sorry, sir, some people complained you had body odor and we’re not letting you back on.’”
Then, they were left stranded at the Miami International Airport while their stroller and bags were left on the plane. The airline booked the family a flight the following day and provided them a hotel room and meal vouchers. However, they only had their clothes on their back for the next 24 hours.
Booted Off Due to Foul Body Odor?
In the terminal, they told the outlet that they asked passersby if they smelled. They also tried asking airline employees if they have body odor but no one gave them a straight answer. Jennie told WPLG Local News 10 that they took a bath earlier that day when the incident took place.
On January 28 of that same year, they sued American Airlines alleging that the airline discriminated them because of their “race, religion, ancestry, country of origin, and ethnic characteristics.” They are Orthodox Jews.
A video of the incident depicted Yosef arguing with an American Airlines staff. Yosef said, “There’s a religious reason for some reason that they’re kicking me off the plane. We don’t have odor, OK? Nobody here has odor.”
Shortly after, the airline employee replied, “Now you told me for religious reasons you don’t shower, is that what you said?”
Adler replied, “No I didn’t! I shower every day, I said you kicked me off because of religious reasons.”
In a statement, the airline clarified that the decision to deplane the family was not because of their religion. Sixty days after the dismissal of the case on April 10, 2020, no further action was taken. The case is effectively closed.