By Jonathan Stempel
By Jonathan Stempel
Dec 19 (Reuters) – A federal choose on Thursday rejected Southwest Airways Co’s LUV.N bid to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit by an American of Iraqi descent who was faraway from a 2016 flight after one other passenger heard him communicate in Arabic and feared he could be a terrorist.
U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Donna Ryu in Oakland, California, mentioned Khairuldeen Makhzoomi might attempt to present that “Islamophobia,” coming amid a “delicate political local weather,” was an element behind his removing, and that Southwest’s declare he was eliminated as a result of he appeared to make threats was pretextual.
Ryu mentioned Makhzoomi might search damages from Southwest for alleged violations of federal and California civil rights legal guidelines, however dismissed claims of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional misery.
The Dallas-based provider had argued there was “at most a scintilla of proof” suggesting racial animus, and mentioned its workers acted moderately in contemplating Makhzoomi a potential security risk.
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