American Airlines Bans Conservative Activist Who Refused to Wear a Mask

Mr. Straka, 43, a gay conservative who rose to prominence in 2018 when he announced that he was leaving the Democratic Party and became the founder of the #WalkAway movement, responded that he didn’t like wearing a mask. He was escorted off the plane and rebooked on another American Airlines flight to Charlotte, N.C., and then on to Seattle.

But American Airlines said in a statement on Thursday that after reviewing the episode that Mr. Straka would no longer be allowed on any of its flights for as long as the mask requirement is in place. According to the airline, Mr. Straka gave contradictory answers about having a medical condition. “As a result of this review, Mr. Straka will not be permitted to fly American, as he failed to comply with our stated policy and crew member instructions,” the airline said. “We are committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our customers and team members, which is why we strengthened enforcement of our policy for required face coverings on board. We expect customers who choose to fly with us to comply with these policies, and if necessary, we will deny future travel for customers who refuse to do so.”

Earlier this week, American Airlines announced that it was stepping up its enforcement of the mask rule as part of a broader effort by the trade group Airlines for America.

Mr. Straka said in an interview on Thursday night that he had a medical condition and that was the reason he didn’t wear a mask. He would not elaborate on the condition and said that the airline employee should have inquired about it before telling him to get off the plane. He disputed that he gave conflicting answers about having a medical condition.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/us/american-airlines-mask-brandon-straka.html