Family Sues After Son With Down Syndrome Disallowed From American Airlines Flight
The parents of a teenage boy with Down syndrome are suing American Airlines after they were prevented from boarding a flight. The airline is claiming he was security risk and could have posed a distraction to the pilot. The boy’s father, Robert Vanderhorst said, “I think the pilot felt that my type of son shouldn’t be in first class … My son doesn’t jump people, attack people, he’s not a terrorist. He’s not going to crash though the security door into the cockpit.”
Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl said that according to the parents, 16-year-old Bede had ridden in coach many times with no problems prior to this incident. In this particular instance, he was supposed to be flying in first class, putting him in closer proximity to the pilot. The question remains, does the family have a discrimination case against American Airlines?
Related Links:
- Shocking Story: Audio Recordings Reveal Teacher Mocking, Swearing At Autistic Student
- JetBlue Passengers Sue Airline Over Pilot’s Bizarre Outburst
- Man Claims TSA Agent Spilled His Grandpa’s Ashes … Then Laughed
American Airlines said in a statement, “Asking the Vanderhorst family to take a different flight was a decision that was made
with careful consideration and was based on the young man’s behavior. Our Newark customer service team worked with the family in an attempt to make him as comfortable as possible. Unfortunately, the crew determined he was still agitated, and at that point the Vanderhorsts were asked to take a different flight.”
Listen to both sides below and decide for yourself:
