SAN FRANCISCO (Gray News) – A U.S. veteran was reportedly kicked off a flight at San Francisco International Airport over a T-shirt she was wearing.
NBC Bay Area reports that Catherine Banks was set to fly out of SFO on Wednesday before a flight attendant told her the shirt she was wearing was threatening.
The shirt read, “Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide,” Banks shared.
Banks, a Marine Corps veteran, said the words on her shirt were for the work she does for others and was not meant to be threatening.
“A male flight attendant was saying, ‘Ma’am, ma’am.’ I looked around, like, ‘Who was he talking to?’ And it was me. He said, ‘You need to get off the plane,’ and I was like, ‘What did I do?’” Banks said.
After getting off the plane, Banks shared that the flight attendant told her that her shirt was deemed “threatening.”
“I said, are you kidding me? I’m a Marine Corps vet. I’m going to see my Marine sister,” she told NBC News. “I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years. I’m going to visit her.”
According to Banks, the attendant told her that he didn’t care about her service and that the other way she was going to get back on the plane was to take the shirt off.
Banks reportedly changed into a sweatshirt to stay on the flight.
People reports that according to Delta’s contract of carriage for U.S. flights, the airline has sole discretion to determine whether or not passengers should be removed from a flight.
A Delta spokesperson said the matter in question had been resolved and thanked the passenger for your patience and her service, People reported.
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