A group of passengers, including members of a girls flag football team returning from the Junior Olympics, is preparing to file a federal civil rights lawsuit against Sun Country Airlines, its parent company and a flight attendant over allegations of racially discriminatory treatment during an Aug. 3 flight from Minneapolis to Maryland.
Sixteen plaintiffs, including juveniles associated with DMV Prime Elite, are expected to bring the lawsuit following an altercation that resulted in passenger Lauren Price and her father being removed from the flight. The plaintiffs allege violations of the Civil Rights Act and emotional distress, according to reporting by CBS News Baltimore.
For Price, the alleged treatment during what began as a dispute over seating remains the defining part of the encounter.
“She just continued to degrade me and talk to me as if I weren’t even a person,” Price said.
Planned lawsuit follows dispute over unused seats
Price said she had purchased 19 seats for herself and the traveling team, although two members of the group did not make the trip. She said she moved into one of the unused seats so the young athletes could sit together, noting that similar seating arrangements had been permitted on previous flights during the team’s trip to Iowa.
According to Price, she was attempting to comply with a request to return to her assigned seat when the flight attendant, identified in court documents as Jean Riegelman, allegedly made racially charged remarks toward the group.
Price alleged that Riegelman said, “If you people would just sit in your seats, we would be able to take off.”
After Price objected to the way she said the group was being addressed, she and her father, Kevin Whitaker, were removed from the flight and had to arrange alternative transportation home. Price said the replacement travel cost approximately $500, though attorneys for the team said Sun Country later refunded the tickets.
The incident gained national attention after Price shared her account on social media, where related posts have received more than 2 million views.
Plaintiffs allege discriminatory treatment and emotional harm
The forthcoming lawsuit is expected to name Sun Country, its parent company and Riegelman as defendants. The plaintiffs are expected to argue that the incident amounted to unlawful discrimination and caused emotional harm to members of the traveling group.
Price also said members of the team believed they were treated differently during the flight, alleging that the attendant avoided serving them.
Attorney Keenan Saulter, who represents the group, said the legal team has received information suggesting that complaints about similar conduct may have previously been raised.
“We’ve learned through the course of our investigation that this is not the first, the second, the third, or the fourth time that specifically Jean Riegelman has been involved in an incident like this,” Saulter said.
Saulter also alleged more broadly that the airline had a history of poor treatment toward some minority customers. Those allegations have not been adjudicated, and the anticipated federal complaint will give the defendants an opportunity to respond in court.
The group is seeking broader accountability beyond financial damages, including policy changes and additional training for airline employees.
Separate criminal case against flight attendant ends
The civil action comes after the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office dropped second-degree assault charges against Riegelman.
The criminal charges stemmed from allegations by Price’s sister, Ashtyn Whitaker, who said Riegelman attempted to knock a phone from her hand and struck her arm as passengers were deplaning. The dismissal of the criminal charges does not necessarily determine the merits of the planned civil claims, which would be evaluated under different legal standards and procedures.
Airline says it is investigating
Sun Country previously said it was investigating the allegations and takes reports of this nature seriously. In an earlier statement, the airline said it had been in contact with the passenger and was working to gather details surrounding the incident.
The company told CBS News Baltimore Friday that it does not comment on pending litigation. Riegelman had not publicly responded to requests for comment cited in the report.
As the plaintiffs prepare to take their claims to federal court, Price says the incident has had consequences that extend well beyond a single flight. Her children, who witnessed parts of the confrontation, have since expressed fear about flying, she said.
The case, once filed, could put renewed legal scrutiny on how airlines handle allegations of discriminatory treatment and the extent to which carriers may be held responsible for the conduct of employees toward passengers.
