A Black passenger has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging discrimination after he was accused of trafficking his own wife during their honeymoon flight. Anthony Williams, a 63-year-old retired police officer, and his wife Katsiaryna Shasholka, 34, were traveling from Phoenix to Miami in September 2022 for their honeymoon when their joyous occasion took a distressing turn.

The Independent reports that per the lawsuit, another passenger on the flight reported to the crew that they suspected Williams of human trafficking. Instead of investigating the claim or questioning the couple, the American Airlines crew allegedly contacted law enforcement, setting in motion a chain of events that would cast a shadow over the newlyweds’ celebration.

Upon landing in Miami, Williams and Shasholka were escorted off the plane by American Airlines employees, forced to wait as other passengers deplaned, and then subjected to questioning by the Miami-Dade Police Department. The couple describes the experience as humiliating and embarrassing, stating in their complaint that it has caused them “mental pain and suffering, sleeplessness, paranoia, panic attacks, fear, anxiety, [and] embarrassment.”

Sueing American Airlines For Discrimination

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Florida, seeks damages over $75,000 from American Airlines, the accusing passenger, and the employees who reported Williams to the police. The couple is being represented by civil rights attorney Jasmine Rand, known for her work with the families of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.

Rand argues that the incident is part of a broader pattern of racial discrimination at American Airlines. “Acts of racial discrimination are widespread throughout American Airlines, indicating a clear failure to train its employees and to hold them accountable when they engage in discriminatory misconduct,” Rand to The Independent.

This is not the first time American Airlines has faced allegations of racial discrimination. The lawsuit cites other incidents, including a case in January 2022 where eight Black passengers were removed from a flight for alleged body odor, and another where a retired circuit judge was berated for using the first-class bathroom while traveling first-class with her family.

These incidents have not gone unnoticed by civil rights organizations. In June 2024, the NAACP spoke out against the airline and threatened to reinstate a travel advisory that had previously been issued in 2017 and lifted in 2018 after the airline implemented diversity training for its employees.