A mixed-race couple in Arizona has sued American Airlines after a flight crew allegedly called the cops over a passenger’s bizarre claim that the black husband was sex trafficking his white wife.
The newlyweds were snapping smiling selfies on the September 2022 flight to their Miami honeymoon.
But retired cop Anthony Williams, 63, and his 34-year-old wife, Katsiaryna Shasholka, had their good time ruined by a nosy passenger who told the flight crew they believed Williams was actually sex trafficking his bride — and the flight crew simply took their word, according to a lawsuit filed in Florida federal court.
He “had no reason to believe… Shasholka was in any danger,” the lawsuit said.
The crew called the Miami-Dade police, who detained and questioned the bewildered couple.
“Upon landing, our clients were falsely imprisoned by American Airlines employees who escorted them off of the plane [and] were made to wait, confused and embarrassed, as the other passengers deplaned and walked by them,” the lawsuit said.
The airline told the couple to file an online complaint after the fact, which Williams did, according to The Independent.
But he said nothing ever came of it.
“There was nothing in our interactions the entire flight that would be indicative of somebody who was being held against their will,” Williams told the outlet. “We were just two people having a good time.”
The experience has caused the couple mental pain, suffering, insomnia, paranoia, panic attacks, fear and anxiety, the suit claimed.
Now, they want $75,000 in damages.
“My client is a retired police officer,” noted civil rights attorney Jasmine Rand, who filed the suit on their behalf, told The Independent.
“He spent his life fighting crime, and now to be accused of a crime so heinous as trafficking his own wife is unfathomable,” she continued. “He is committed to fighting for justice for himself and for others that have suffered racial discrimination at the hands of American Airlines.”
In an email, the airline told the outlet that the company “strives to provide a positive experience to everyone who travels with us.”
“We are reviewing the allegations of the complaint,” the statement said.
The complaint listed a handful of other times in which the airline mistreated black passengers — including a September 2023 incident in which professional guitarist David Ryan Harris was accused of trafficking his own kids on a cross-country flight.
Harris — who has played with John Mayer, Mariah Carey and Dave Matthews — was similarly interrogated by cops after a flight attendant’s complaint.
American Airlines later apologized for the massive error.
“You have American Airlines, who has done this before, and it shows that they are doing it again,” said civil rights attorney Ben Taylor, who isn’t involved in the case. “As an attorney, they are definitely negligent for this.”
“They assumed something was going on, and assumed it was trafficking without even asking a question,” he added.
“In our society, you can love and marry whoever you want to,” he continued. “Just because they are a different race doesn’t mean they should be stereotyped.”
“They need to do some training to clean up their culture at American Airlines.”
