Doctor accuses American Airlines of racism and body shaming after 'being stopped from boarding until she covered up her shorts'

A file image of an American Airlines plane
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
James Morris10 July 2019

A black doctor has accused American Airlines of racism and body shaming after she was told to cover up her shorts before boarding the plane.

In a series of tweets, Tisha Rowe, from Houston in Texas, said she was “policed for being black”.

American Airlines said it has “reached out to her” for more information about what happened.

Dr Rowe posted on her Twitter account: “So #AmericanAirlines just told me I couldn’t board the flight without putting a jacket over my ASSETS. My shorts covered EVERYTHING but apparently was too distracting to enter the plane. I guess that’s why they are AMERICAN airlines.

“We are policed for being black. Our bodies are over sexualized as women and we must ADJUST to make everyone around us comfortable. I’ve seen white women with much shorter shorts board a plane without a blink of an eye. I guess if it’s a “nice ass” vs a @Serena Booty it’s okay...”

Dr Rowe said the incident, which happened as she returned from a holiday, left her young son in tears.

She later posted pictures of the summer outfit she was wearing as she boarded the flight.

American Airlines said in a statement: "We were concerned about Dr Rowe’s comments, and reached out to her and our team at the Kingston airport to gather more information about what occurred.

"We apologise to Dr Rowe and her son for their experience, and have fully refunded their travel.

"We are proud to serve customers of all backgrounds and are committed to providing a positive, safe travel experience for everyone who flies with us."

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