College student kicked off flight files discrimination complaint
DETROIT - A University of Michigan student is filing a discrimination complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights after she says she was unfairly kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight on Saturday, CBS Detroit reports.
Nadia Majed says she was diagnosed with claustrophobia and anxiety and told the attendant when she got on the plane that she had a panic disorder. She claims she asked for a window seat that appeared open, which led to a dispute with a flight attendant, according to the station.
Now the Arab American Civil Rights League wants the state Department of Civil Rights to investigate Majed's treatment by the airline. Nabih Ayad, Majed's attorney, claims the flight attendant's response was biased.
"I've been doing this for 16 years," said Ayed. She added that her expertise led her to believe that the attendant's inaction with regard to her client's condition "was due to her ethnic background," according to CBS Detroit.
"She asked me, 'Do you not understand what I'm telling you? I said go back to your seat,' and she's snapping her neck and, like, raising her voice," said Majed.
"I just started hyperventilating," she said.
"I kind of lost it - one thing I did wrong - I swore at her, and she said, 'You want to swear at me, watch. I'm going to get you kicked off this plane,'" said Majed, adding that the incident was very humiliating and that there were drunk people on the flight causing an even bigger commotion.
Ayed said a growing anti-Arab sentiment in the country includes remarks made by GOP candidate Donald Trump "saying that Islam hates us ... this guy's ignorant to the point of stupid."
Spirit Airlines has not yet responded to a call for comment from the station.