A woman from San Francisco was removed from a Delta Air Lines flight after a flight attendant deemed her T-shirt “threatening.” She was informed that she needed to change her clothes to reboard the flight, according to SF Gate.
The incident occurred on October 16 when Catherine Banks, a Marine Corps veteran, was preparing to depart from San Francisco International Airport. The flight attendant instructed her to leave the plane.
In an interview with NBC Bay Area (KNTV), Banks recounted that after stepping off the aircraft, the attendant told her her shirt was “threatening.” The T-shirt featured a message about the alarming rates of veteran suicide in the U.S., stating, “Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide.”
Banks was taken aback by the response and explained her background. “I said, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m a Marine Corps vet. I’m going to see my Marine sister. I’ve served in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years. I’m going to visit her,’” she said.
Despite her explanations, the crew member remained firm, insisting she must change her shirt immediately. Banks, who was not wearing a bra, had to turn her back away to change on the jet bridge.
“He said, ‘I don’t care about your service, and I don’t care about her service. The only way you’re going to get back on the plane is if you take it off right now,'” she recalled.
After changing, Banks was further dismayed to find herself seated in the back of the plane, despite having paid extra for a seat with additional legroom.
The T-shirt she wore is sold by the Til Valhalla Project, an organization that supports veterans, helping families obtain memorial plaques for deceased veterans and providing therapy for those in need.
Delta Air Lines’ policy allows for the removal of passengers if their “conduct, attire, hygiene, or odor creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers.” The airline is reportedly investigating the incident.