American Airlines class action alleges company refuses to give disabled workers reasonable accommodations

American Airlines workers class action lawsuit overview: 

• Who: Santrise White filed a class action lawsuit against American Airlines Inc. 
• Why: White claims American Airlines has reasonable accommodations policies that violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in Texas federal court.

American Airlines violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the way it treats its disabled workers, a new class action lawsuit alleges. 

Plaintiff Santrise White, who is a disabled American Airlines employee, claims the airline, in regard to its disabled employees, refuses to engage in interactive processes, refuses accommodations, impermissibly terminates them and fails to rehire them. 

White argues American Airlines has an illegal policy that requires its employees with disabilities to wait for an accommodating position to open, at which point they allegedly must compete with other employees with disabilities for the position. 

“American Airlines’ ADA violating policies adversely affect Plaintiff White and the Putative Class Members who benefit from the protections under the ADA,” the American Airlines class action states. 

White wants to represent a class of American Airlines employees who have a disability within the meaning of the ADA and have been subject to the airline’s policies regarding reasonable accommodations. 

White also wants to represent an injunctive class of disabled American Airlines employees who have been adversely affected by the airlines’ aforementioned reasonable accommodations policies. 

American Airlines refused to accommodate request to wear tennis shoes, class action says

White claims American Airlines, in her case, has both refused to engage in the interactive process and refused to timely accommodate her — namely, to allow her to wear tennis shoes because of her lymphedema. 

“Plaintiff White was forced to continue working while her legs swelled in pain,” the American Airlines class action states.

The plaintiff is demanding a jury trial and requesting declaratory and injunctive relief along with an award of compensatory, putative and punitive damages for herself and all class members. 

In another case involving American Airlines, the airline filed a lawsuit against the online travel agency and metasearch engine Skiplagged last month over claims it was selling American Airlines tickets without being an authorized agent. 

Have you been subjected to American Airlines policies on reasonable accommodations? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Clif Alexander, Austin W. Anderson and Lauren Braddy of Anderson Alexander PLLC.

The American Airlines workers class action lawsuit is White v. American Airlines Inc., Case No. 5:23-cv-01164, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• American Airlines files lawsuit against Skiplagged alleging unauthorized ticket sales
• American Airlines files Kiwi lawsuit alleging site sells airline’s tickets despite agreement termination
• Department of Transportation announces new fuel economy standards
• Judge denies antitrust enforcers’ request to monitor American Airlines, JetBlue following merger termination