Suit was filed late last month in a New York federal district court against JetBlue Airways by three observant Jewish passengers who were forced off of a flight by airline personnel after one of the passengers, an Orthodox Jewish man, asked other passengers to switch seats with him so, consistent with his religious beliefs, he would not be sitting next to a woman who was not his wife or a blood relative. The complaint (full text) in Ungar v. JetBlue Airways Corp., (SD NY, filed 2/27/2024), alleges in part:
48. ... At no time while Mr. Lunger was trying to observe his religious beliefs, did he force, become loud, or use a stern voice to intimidate any other passengers into changing seats with him.
49. Even though Mr. Lunger had figured out a way to observe his religious beliefs without interfering with the flight, Defendant Doe [the flight attendant] discriminated against Mr. Lunger because of his race and his religion.
50. Defendant Doe brought the JetBlue pilot to the back of the plane.
51. The JetBlue pilot falsely told the Plaintiffs that they could not change seats because it was a violation and it would cause a weight imbalance....
Plaintiffs claim they suffered discrimination and retaliation on the basis of religion and race in violation of 42 USC §1981 and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. Live and Let's Fly reports on the lawsuit.
