Rights Groups to Sue Airlines for Discrimination (yep, bet you guessed it..)

Reuters / ABC ^

[RCW2001]

Rights Groups to Sue Airlines for Discrimination

June 3

— WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two American civil rights groups said they would file lawsuits against four major airlines on Tuesday, accusing them of discriminating against five men who were removed from flights after Sept. 11 because of their perceived Middle East appearance or origin.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee said it was a co-plaintiff in three of the five cases to be filed in federal district court in Los Angeles, New York and Washington on Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union.

ADC and the ACLU confirmed the lawsuits would be filed, but gave no details about the individual cases, or which airlines would be sued.

The lawsuits would be filed on behalf of the five men -- four U.S. citizens and one permanent resident -- who the groups said were "ejected from flights for reasons unrelated to security and simply because of their perceived Middle East appearance or origin."

Details are to be announced at news conferences in all three cities at noon EDT (1600 GMT) on Tuesday, the groups said.

ADC and the ACLU have repeatedly complained about discrimination against Arab Americans, Muslims and other minorities in the wake of the Sept. 11 hijacked plane attacks, which were carried out by 19 Middle Eastern men.

The ACLU in December filed a lawsuit seeking basic information about those arrested and detained after the attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people.

The Transportation Department on Monday said consumers filed 18 complaints in April -- the latest data available -- alleging discrimination by airlines due to factors other than disabilities, such as race, religion, national origin or sex.

The department received 35 such complaints in March.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta opposes racial profiling of airline passengers, but security has been tightened around the country and many Arab Americans and other minorities have complained of unfair treatment.

The government denies it is engaging in racial profiling, noting that tougher security measures since Sept. 11 target passengers for myriad reasons, including those who buy one-way tickets or use cash to pay for expensive airline seats.

These are the first civil rights lawsuits to be filed by the ACLU or ADC regarding alleged racial profiling.

[cmsgop]

Remember Ellis Island!!!!!!!!!!

[Rodney King]

lol

[swarthyguy]

If there was a true security profiling system in place, hysterical behaviour like these guys getting thrown off the plane would not happen as people would have confidence in the system.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

[Fish out of Water]

*Index Bump

[knarf]

Many. many years ago ... in another time, another era, I was a roadie for a R&R band.

One early summer morning, maybe 3 or 4 AM, after the gig, after parking the truck, a little distance from where I was staying ... I was walking home with a cigarette in my mouth, enjoying the buzz from a good show accomplished and the warm summer air ... a cop pulled up, got out slapped the cigarette out of my mouth, swung me around and cuffed me.

I was 'placed' in the car and swept off to city jail.

Now, I had a nice buzz on and I got to tell you, this was a real bummer.

Within an hour or so I was booked, printed and made to sat in a room with a one-way mirror.

I wasn't so naive that I hadn't figured I had been popped for something serious, and there were a couple of reels' worth of memory-bank tape replaying away in my mind, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out what I might have done to deserve this kind of treatment.

A long story short ...
In the courtroom the next day, the judge looked very sternly at me and asked me to really listen to what the cop was to say.

I said, "Yes sir" .... and did.

Turns out there had been a break-in/rape about a block from where I had been popped and the victim had come in and definitely said I was not the guy.

"Course ... during the night and the "Where were you this evening" questions, I hadn't a clue.

The judge looked at me, apologized for the cop (after his statement) and the court and asked if I would accept that.

You betcha' RedRidah!

I left, got on with my life and I don't feel so awful bad for the experience.

I say all of this because all of this "I'm gonna' sue you" $h!t has just about gone as far as it should go.

I pray there are judges and lawyers out there that have a little sense and expertise and get this case (These cases) thrown out as a simple case of mistaken, but justifiable (at the time) identification.

If any of those people are reading this ...

Grow up.

[RaceBannon]

sad to bump

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

OK time to deport the aclu

[Zon]

Read the Fourth Amendment. Geez, we can't even trust our "employees" -- government officials -- to let them into our homes and businesses without a search warrant. But somehow a business is supposed to trust a total stranger with an open door policy. A person can refuse to allow a government employee -- a servant to the property owner -- access to his property but not a total stranger. And get this, it is the government that can't be trusted without a search warrant that is telling property owners that they must trust total strangers.

All anti-discrimination laws are unjust.

[Theo]

We need more Americans like you (and me), knarf.

[Prodigal Son]

The lawsuits would be filed on behalf of the five men -- four U.S. citizens and one permanent resident -- who the groups said were "ejected from flights for reasons unrelated to security and simply because of their perceived Middle East appearance or origin."

Jeez, makes you wonder what planet these lawyers have been living on. In order for these guys to "really get it", bin Laden himself would have to shove a stick of dynamite up their bums and light the fuse. Did Americans have to put up with this type of crap from the ACLU during WWII?

[Argus]

Did Americans have to put up with this type of crap from the ACLU during WWII?

No, because in WWII the US was fighting as an ally of the Motherland, the USSR, and as a loyal division of the Communist Party, the ACLU would do nothing to impede that war effort, even if it meant hanging the Japanese- and German-Americans out to dry in internment camps.

[Thebaddog]

I was really more worried that this was an ADA lawsuit. We can win this one.

[cake_crumb]

Disgusting. Not at all surprising, but still disgusting.

The ACLU has gotten a little too used to shaking down big companies with lawsuits and having companies settle out of court. Bin Laden said his terrorists would learn to fit in here and use our culture against us.

Here they are using the legal system against us.

[barker]

Sunday I heard an ad by McCain on the local radio station. He was saying discriminating against Arab-Americans was bad and for us not to do it. Gave a number to report any alleged discrimination. Don't know if it was this same group or not.

Jerk, go away John, far, far away.

[oldtimer]

During WWII, the snake ACLU types lived under their rocks, and if they came out from under the rocks, their heads were chopped off with hoes.

[judgeandjury]

We need a federal court to rule that it is illegal to sue under these circumstances. The United States has major security needs and discrimination lawsuits like this one make it a lot more difficult for us to make our country secure from terrorism. If the individuals who were inconvenienced turn out to not be tied to terrorism in any way, the airlines should issue a public apology and then give these individuals a free round-trip ticket to any destination within the U.S. as a goodwill gesture. Case closed.

[MHT]

I am a petite blonde female. Everytime I fly I get searched--heck, I could probably fly naked and they would still want to search me. I have flown without jewelry, belts, coats with metal buttons--everything but flip-flops--and I am the one they want. I can hardly figure out how to light a match and I've never been able to get the charcoal grill right. Like I'm going to hijack or blow up a plane?

However, I know this is because for every one like me that they do, they can justify a young Arab male as I make their statistics seems unbiased. Guess this is my war effort!