A woman named Yasbleidy Giraldo has filed a lawsuit in a Brooklyn District Court against American Airlines, alleging that a flight attendant locked her and her child in the lavatory, and accused them of a “terrorist incident.” Huh?!
In this post:
Mother & son accused of terrorist incident on American flight
This situation dates back to September 2022, and involves an American Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to New York (JFK). Giraldo was traveling with her three-year-old child, and believes she was the target of of religious and racial discrimination, based on how she looked, her name, and because she was speaking Farsi during the flight.
According to the lawsuit:
- Giraldo was seated in the first row of economy, and attempted to use the first class lavatory to change her son’s diaper; on domestic flights, American’s policy is to allow you to use a lavatory in any cabin, so she was within her rights to do this
- The first class flight attendant refused to let Giraldo use the lavatory, and sent her to use the lavatory in the back of the plane, in economy
- While waiting for the economy lavatory, another flight attendant confirmed that she could have used the first class lavatory
- Later in the flight, Giraldo’s son urgently needed to go to the bathroom, so she rushed to the first class lavatory, and bypassed the first class flight attendant
- Once inside the lavatory, she heard the door lock from the outside, and she tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t open; Giraldo claims that the flight attendant “sneered through the door, ‘oh are you locked in, do you need someone to open the door, ma’am?'”
- Giraldo got upset by this, as she suffers from claustrophobia and anxiety when flying; she started to bang on the door, which traumatized her three year old child, and she “gathered all her strength and tried to contain herself to comfort him”
- The flight attendant eventually unlocked the door and the mother and son returned to their seats, but were then “scolded” by the flight attendant, who claimed they had been responsible for a “terrorist incident”
- The flight attendant warned Giraldo that the pilot had called in a “terrorist alert,” and on arrival police officers escorted them off a plane, and questioned them for 15 minutes, before they were released
My take on this bizarre story
What the heck?!? Admittedly this is a lawsuit, so it contains only one side of the story. Discrimination is very real, but even so, I’m trying to wrap my head around how something like this could happen. Is there any part of this awful situation that could be attributed to a miscommunication? For example:
- Could it be that the mother was told she wasn’t allowed to use the first class lavatory because they were about to open the cockpit door, or something along those lines?
- Could it be that the flight attendant was trying to be helpful by locking the door for the mother? I know in first class on ANA or JAL they’ll often follow you to the lavatory and lock the door for you, as a courtesy; admittedly American economy isn’t ANA or JAL first class 😉
Let me be clear, I don’t think either of those things were happening here, based on the context. But for the sake of humanity, I’m trying to come up with anything possible that’s a better explanation than just thinking “oh yeah, a flight attendant locked a mother and small child in a bathroom, and then accused them of a terrorist incident.”
Bottom line
A mother is suing American Airlines, alleging that a flight attendant refused to let her use the first class bathroom, and then ended up locking her in the lavatory later in the flight, and calling the cops on her, claiming she was involved in a terrorist incident.
If the facts are as presented, this is really, really bad. And even if there was some sort of a miscommunication, I can’t even begin to wrap my head around how this could be escalated to the point that a flight attendant labels this as a terrorist incident, and has the police meet the flight. Some flight attendants are just really bad at conflict deescalation…
What do you make of this incident, based on what we know?
Claustrophobia is a serious disorder and can lead someone like me to an asthmatic episode and death. Never, never lock someone in a small space. Flight attendants need more training.
Some of the flight attendants are off the wall rude.
So, can anyone confirm that the FA told the pilot to call a "terrorist incident"? If, so the story would line right up.
What I make of this incident? I refuse to fly any US based airline for years because of their flight attendants running berserk and forgetting totally they are there for the passengers and not vice versa.
I do not know ANY European, Asian or Oceanic airline where flight attendants feel and behave like Mini Trumps.
Flight attendants are no better humans than passengers. There are people with inappropriate behavior and personnal issues among FA too.
I'm tired of FAs escalating the slightest incident about coffee service or bathroom use to a "flight safety incident or preventing them from performing their duties". It is obvious that they are taking advantage of the current climate to get revenge on the past.
Their word is no better than a passenger's and...
Flight attendants are no better humans than passengers. There are people with inappropriate behavior and personnal issues among FA too.
I'm tired of FAs escalating the slightest incident about coffee service or bathroom use to a "flight safety incident or preventing them from performing their duties". It is obvious that they are taking advantage of the current climate to get revenge on the past.
Their word is no better than a passenger's and they should not be taken at their word. There is very little information about what happens to an FA who has ridiculously escalated an "incident" (which sometimes is nothing more than a minor disagreement - first amendment right to speak) out of proportion. Airlines seem unwilling to sanction them.
I think you are being disingenuous by not finishing the story of what happened on their arrival at the airport. The husband was a former FBI agent and member of the Joint Terrorism task force and after that served as a prosecutor in Pennsylvania. The other bloggers included that after meeting with law enforcement the family was released in 15 minutes. That should change some of your readers minds who are defending the flight attendant.
What we have here is a failure to communicate.
I pay myself for First Class. I get incredibly annoyed when passengers from other cabins move the drapes and just mosey on up to the restroom. I hope AA changes the policy and keeps each class bathrooms segmented. Lastly, could it have been someone was already using the bathroom and the FA simply told her it was unavailable at this time? Of the Pilot really did call in a "terrorist threat" or whatever, I think...
I pay myself for First Class. I get incredibly annoyed when passengers from other cabins move the drapes and just mosey on up to the restroom. I hope AA changes the policy and keeps each class bathrooms segmented. Lastly, could it have been someone was already using the bathroom and the FA simply told her it was unavailable at this time? Of the Pilot really did call in a "terrorist threat" or whatever, I think the questioning would have taken much longer than 15 min. This lady is stretching the truth and unfortunately she has an ambulance chasing lawyer who wants to roll the dice on suing AA. Should be thrown out immediately.
You know that AA doesn't provide an exclusive lavatory for first class, so if that annoys you so much, you should fly a different airline that polices it, such as Alaska.
I guess you'd like to see them make black people sit only in the last few rows of coach too.
@CHRIS
Why do you want to turn this into Jim Crow?
Turn every entitlement into race issues doesn't validate your opinion.
We're talking about using a restroom. I really do not care if people use the lav up front. If you do, then you probably care about other things too like black people coming to the front also. It's a restroom.
You just did it again!
And you should mind all the facts. Unless you are equally racist as the FA...in which case there is no use in arguing with you.
AA used to be a really decent company. Now, they are barely better than Spirit or Frontier. They really need to find their way. A good way to start is by scaling down operations so that they're not as desperate to hire flight attendants. Instead of hiring anyone with a pulse, they can get back to being selective.
As usual more to this than is being reported.
Citation needed
the FA in question must have been Donna, who hates her job and frequently reminds readers that FAs aren’t there to serve anyone
Did the gender of the child change mid lawsuit?
@ James -- Whoopsies, fixed. Thanks!
No one is afraid of "foreigners" or Islam. When a white person asks where I am from, they are genuinely curious - not "racist". I ask the same question if I detect a Long Island accent in the Deep South. Most of the time, those claiming "racism" are simply looking to be a victim. I'm not sure what is wrong with being a "nationalist". I love the United States for all it has offered me...
No one is afraid of "foreigners" or Islam. When a white person asks where I am from, they are genuinely curious - not "racist". I ask the same question if I detect a Long Island accent in the Deep South. Most of the time, those claiming "racism" are simply looking to be a victim. I'm not sure what is wrong with being a "nationalist". I love the United States for all it has offered me and my family.
We don't know the full story here and I would bet this lawsuit is dropped in due course. This lady may have been acting nutty on the plane and is now accusing the airline of being "racist". All one has to do in the USA is behave and they'll be treated with respect.
“I'm not sure what is wrong with being a "nationalist".”
Google it.
You are mixing up nationalism with patriotism. At least I hope you are...
I'm pretty sure he is from the rest of what he said. I think he means Patriotism.
"I ask the same question if I detect a Long Island accent in the Deep South"
You are stereotyping people in the deep south with a certain accent.
I'm sure you are genuinely curious, but today stereotyping is not politically correct.
Just like people here are sure you're genuinely mixing nationalism with patriotism but each politically represent different things.
I mean, I'm not "afraid" of people being nationalist, per se. But I hope you realize that a nation-state is just a club that a few people decided to create. Like, a few guys got together in Philadelphia in 1785, and declared collectively, "hey, these are the values we all share, we're going to establish a country and this is what we want for ourselves and our children." Nothing more, nothing less. Thomas Jefferson felt...
I mean, I'm not "afraid" of people being nationalist, per se. But I hope you realize that a nation-state is just a club that a few people decided to create. Like, a few guys got together in Philadelphia in 1785, and declared collectively, "hey, these are the values we all share, we're going to establish a country and this is what we want for ourselves and our children." Nothing more, nothing less. Thomas Jefferson felt that Constitutional Conventions should be held every 20 years or so, so that the constitution could be updated to reflect the current values of the time. The constitution is just a piece of paper, and it's what we as a society or group of people feel are principles we all agree on and want to govern us. If our values should change, then we should write new things down on a new piece of paper, and add it to the existing pieces of paper that describe our values. I may be inferring a little here, but I suspect you are holding these people a little too high on a pedestal than even they themselves would suggest you do.
@ltdowney
I don't know exactly what you mean, but they might be almost a decade too late to the club you're describing.
While Thomas Jefferson might have the vision to foresee a potential mess, even among the people in the 'club' have different opinions.
The thing is, most people allow the club to be rigged. Gerrymandering, electoral college, popular vote. etc.
One tell sign is by the next office, candidates such as Biden...
@ltdowney
I don't know exactly what you mean, but they might be almost a decade too late to the club you're describing.
While Thomas Jefferson might have the vision to foresee a potential mess, even among the people in the 'club' have different opinions.
The thing is, most people allow the club to be rigged. Gerrymandering, electoral college, popular vote. etc.
One tell sign is by the next office, candidates such as Biden would be 82 or Trump would be 78.
While the retirement age is already as high as 67. Talk about holding on and never let go.
"All one has to do in the USA is behave and they'll be treated with respect." Hahahah. Tell that to all the black folks shot by cops while following their orders.
Seems like the FA didn’t want the passenger to change a diaper in the first class lav. The FA mishandled the situation.
Did the passenger raise her voice at the FA ? It depends on the police report and what verbiage was used. Without a video of the incident or eye witness account of a passenger this wouldn’t be a strong case for discrimination.
There is another side of the story that we didn't hear yet. Misunderstanding happens. Race cards are often played.
But even from one side, I think the mother overreacted and can't wait to play the race card.
But I also can't see a convincing reason that a mother with a 3 year old would be suspected as a terrorist and need officers to escort them off the plane.
My god. But this is exactly post-9/11 America. Fear of foreigners. Islamophobia. Rampant nationalism.
Those are your words based on the sensationalized VICTIM narrative of nappy mama.
I have to admit I never flew AA but from all the Airlines I flew (and there are a lot) I never visited a bathroom that could be closed from outside and not reopened from inside. I know they can be closed from outside and how to do that but that you can't reopen it from the inside goes beyond me. I will try that on my next flight.
The flight attendant probably realized that she didn't lock the door, so they helped her out by locking it from the outside. I would reason that the door would have opened normally from the inside, but when her claustrophobia kicked in, she panicked and forgot (or never knew) how to open the lock.
If the airline can show that it's not even possible to lock the door so that it can't be opened from the inside, her lawsuit will probably be tossed
TOTALLY agreed. This passenger seems to be stretching the truth.