“American targeted racial minorities with deceptive and misleading advertising to entice non-white cadets, including Plaintiffs, to take out massive loans to enroll in the AACA—a predatory program with little likelihood of a successful outcome,” the lawsuit alleges.
Fourteen former flight students have filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, claiming the company misled them and, in some cases, discriminated against racial minorities during training.
According to KERA News, the lawsuit was lodged in a San Diego-based federal court on Tuesday. The plaintiffs identify as African-American, Asian, or Latino. Together, they claim they were offered fewer training opportunities than their white peers. The students also say that they received harsher grades, were subjected to derogatory or otherwise insensitive remarks, and, on occasion, were placed into “remedial”-track programs that ended in failure.
Several of the plaintiffs claim to have accrued significant debt as a result of the training course.
The lawsuit further accuses American Airlines of “reverse redlining” by proactively offering minority enrollment in a program they were unlikely to complete. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say that, on the whole, minority applicants are three times less likely to finish the training course than white students.
“American targeted racial minorities with deceptive and misleading advertising to entice non-white cadets, including Plaintiffs, to take out massive loans to enroll in the AACA—a predatory program with little likelihood of a successful outcome,” the lawsuit alleges.
Triston Sanderson, one of the named plaintiffs in the suit, told KERA News that he was enrolled in American Airlines’ program between April 2022 and December 2023, when he was dismissed from training. Sanderson, who is African-American, said he was never given a good reason as to why he was told to leave. However, he claims that, throughout his enrollment, he noticed a pattern of minority students receiving fewer resources and less practical mentorship than white students.
“I had picked up everything I’ve known, a secure job, a high-paying secure job as an accountant to pursue the dream of becoming a pilot,” Sanderson told KERA News. “And here I am, halfway through it, a thousand dollars in debt and I’m being threatened every day of being released or being nixed for minor mistakes my white counterparts were not being nixed for. Is anybody going to believe me when I say there are huge differences between the training that people of color are receiving compared to my white counterpart?”
American Airlines has since said that it believes the lawsuit lacks merit.
“We are committed to providing a positive and welcoming experience to everyone who seeks to join our company,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We take seriously the concerns raised by this group of former cadets, but we believe the allegations are without merit.”
The lawsuit accuses American Airlines of violating federal and state civil rights laws, racketeering laws, and consumer protection laws, both at the federal level and under Texas and California state statutes. In total, the plaintiffs are seeking at least $36 million in damages.
Sources
American Airlines accused of racial discrimination in lawsuit filed by former pilot students
$36 million suit alleges unmet promises, discrimination at American Airlines academy in San Diego
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