Passengers set to file civil rights suit over altercation with Sun Country Airlines flight attendant

A group of passengers is planning to file a civil rights lawsuit against Sun Country Airlines, its parent company and a flight attendant after they claim she made racially discriminatory comments toward them. 

The passengers were part of a girls flag football team, DMV Prime Elite, traveling from the Junior Olympics in Iowa. Sixteen plaintiffs, including juveniles, will be filing the federal lawsuit.

The flight attendant, identified in court documents as Jean Riegelman, is accused of making racially charged comments toward the group and attempting to swat a phone out of a passenger's hand during deplaning.

The story has since gone viral on social media, garnering more than two million views.

Passenger describes the airline encounter

"I still am in complete shock that it did happen to me and my group," passenger Lauren Price told CBS News Baltimore.

Price and the team boarded a flight from Minneapolis to Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International (BWI) Airport on Aug. 3.

She said the situation started when she switched seats with one of her athletes so the children could be together. She said she had booked 19 seats for herself and her team, but only 17 were being used after two people did not make the trip. She sat in one of the unused seats, instead of her assigned seat, so other players could sit together. 

Price said the seating arrangement had been allowed on the team's previous flights to Iowa.

"We altered the seating arrangement based on the seats we paid for," Price said in a news conference Friday.

That's when Price says Riegelman began making racially charged comments toward her. Price alleges Riegelman claimed she could do or say whatever she wanted.

After moving seats, Price said Riegelman asked her to return to her assigned seat. Price said she was complying and trying to move when the comments began.

"She came storming down the middle aisle and said, 'If you people would just sit in your seats, we would be able to take off,'" Price explained. "She just continued to degrade me and talk to me as if I weren't even a person."

After asking Riegelman to stop speaking to the group in this way, Price and her father, Kevin Whitaker, were kicked off the flight and forced to find another way back to Maryland.

"Everything's supposed to change. Nothing has changed. It's the same old thing from back in the '60s," Whitaker said.

Price, who is a Black woman, said the encounter was demeaning and degrading and it overshadowed the team's experience at the tournament. 

At the gate, Price said she was not allowed back onto the plane and had to book another airline, costing her $500. According to the team's attorney, Sun Country has refunded Price and Whitaker for their tickets.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team and Price's family remained on board. Price said her two children were among those on the flight and they became upset during the incident.

Members of the flag football team also alleged that Riegelman avoided serving them during the flight.

Group alleges Civil Rights Act violations

Now, the team is planning to sue the airline, its parent company Allegiant Airlines and Riegelman, accusing them of causing emotional distress and violating the Civil Rights Act.

Attorneys for the team say this isn't the first time Sun Country or this flight attendant have been accused of discriminatory behavior.

After Price posted her story on social media, she said several people messaged her sharing similar experiences with Riegelman and the airline. She claims former employees also reached out to her saying they stopped working for Sun Country because of this type of behavior.

"We've learned through the course of our investigation that this is not the first, the second, the third, or the fourth time that specifically Jean Riegelman has been involved in an incident like this," Keenan Saulter, the team's attorney, said. "More broadly, Sun Country Airlines has a history of poor treatment of their customers, and sadly, it seems focused on African American and Latino customers."

The group says Riegelman should be fired and there should be additional airline policy changes. They are also asking for additional training for Sun Country staff.

As for Price, she says the situation has taken a heavy emotional toll on her, her team and even her own children, who are now afraid to fly.

"Some way, somehow, it still comes up every day [with her children]. We are supposed to travel to London for the Commanders game, and the kids don't want to," Price said.

Flight attendant's assault charges dropped

The Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office tells CBS News Baltimore prosecutors are dropping the second-degree assault charges filed against Riegelman.

The charges were filed after Price's sister, Ashtyn Whitaker, tried to record video of the flight attendant while passengers were deplaning. Whitaker alleges Riegelman attempted to knock the phone out of her hand and struck her arm.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday.

Sun Country responds

On Friday, Sun Country told CBS News Baltimore it does not comment on pending litigation.

Earlier this month, the airline said it was investigating.

"Sun Country Airlines takes reports like this very seriously. We have been in conversation with the passenger and are working to get all details surrounding the situation," the previous statement said.

We have reached out to Riegelman for comment and have not heard back. 

Attorneys say the civil rights lawsuit will be filed next week.