A first-class passenger has sued Delta Airlines over what she says is a blatant case of racial discrimination. According to The Daily Mail, the airline removed her from a flight simply for “looking at a white flight attendant wrong.”
Teresa Hudson Jordan flew with her minor daughter in first class on Delta Flight 5792 from Lexington, Kentucky, to New York in March. Jordan claims a flight attendant targeted her with hostility after she made eye contact. The lawsuit says the situation escalated quickly when the flight attendant began shouting at her.
What Happened On The Delta Flight?
“In a grotesque display of racial hostility, Ms. Jordan, a Black woman traveling with her minor daughter in first class, was singled out, verbally assaulted, and subjected to public disgrace aboard Delta Flight 5792, for simply meeting the gaze of a white flight attendant,” the complaint states. The flight attendant reportedly yelled at Jordan to “stop looking at her” and to stop eyeing her “up and down.”
She then threatened to “turn the plane around” if Jordan didn’t stop. The complaint describes the conduct as a throwback to a time when a glance from a Black person toward a white individual could spark violent backlash. Fellow passengers appeared disturbed by the flight attendant’s behavior.
One witness, Antoinette Wilson, said the attendant treated Jordan “like a dog or a slave.” Another passenger, Megan Corey, added, “I’ve never seen/heard a flight attendant act so aggressively towards a passenger. It was disturbing and unwarranted. I’m filing a complaint.”
The Aftermath
Jordan says the flight attendant continued escalating the conflict, even though she remained calm. The attendant told the captain that Jordan was being “unruly” and “disruptive,” prompting the plane to return to the gate. Crew members then removed Jordan and her daughter from the flight.
Jordan missed a “critical” medical appointment with her daughter because of the incident. Her attorney, Jon L. Norinsberg, called the case an example of the ongoing reality that “even in 2025, Black Americans continue to endure the indignity of ‘Flying While Black.'”
Norinsberg also claims Delta ignored the incident. He told The Independent that multiple strangers on the flight contacted the airline to confirm Jordan’s account. These passengers reported the verbal abuse and noted that the flight attendant was “laughing and joking” after removing Jordan and her daughter.
