Kayla Eubanks, a black woman travelling on the Southwest Airlines, was forced to wear a pilot's T-shirt after she wasn't allowed to board the flight because of her revealing outfit. The enraged woman said that airlines staff told her that the fellow passengers might be offended because of her revealing halter top.
Southwest Airlines states in its Contract of Carriage under section 6b(1)(xiv) that the carrier can refuse to transport passengers for disruptive behavior, including "engaging in lewd, obscene or patently offensive behavior, including wearing clothes that are lewd, obscene or patently offensive."
Eubanks Said Airlines Staff Failed to Show Her Their Policy on Clothing
The woman, hailing from Chicago, was wearing a red colored long skirt paired with a black halter top with a deep plunging neckline. Enraged over the entire episode, Eubanks tweeted, "Y'all I was KICKED OFF my @SouthwestAir flight because my boobs are 'lewd, obscene and offensive.' I was told that passengers may look at me in my attire and be offended."
In another tweet she added: "I really wanna know why @SouthwestAir is policing my clothes like this. How will my shirt impact my flight, for myself, the other passengers or even the pilot? Y'all have a dress code for CUSTOMERS who pay to get on a plane? It's the constant policing of women's bodies for me," she added.
She also posted a video showing the airlines employee searching for the policy as Eubanks was stopped from boarding the plane. "This @SouthwestAir employee practically did cartwheels to ensure that I wouldn't get on this plane y'all. I was held at the gate for 30 minutes because of my shirt."
Southwest Airlines Pilot Intervened to Resolve the Issue
In another video posted by Eubanks, the employee is seen approaching the flight's captain to resolve the issue. The unidentified pilot is heard telling Eubanks, "They hating you because your are looking good. Is that right"
"If they're like, 'Hey, the rule says you have to cover up,' do you have something? Do you have a shirt or do you want me to give you one of mine?" he goes on to add.
Towards the end of the video, an irate Eubanks is heard telling the pilot, "I have to leave my titties at home?" to which the flight captain replies, "Obviously not."
Later in a selfie posted while wearing a blue colored 'Boys of Summer' T-shirt, Eubanks tweeted: "The CAPTAIN of the flight loaned me his shirt so that I could board (having been removed from the flight and the flight being delayed). I eventually took it off.. Only to be told that I would have to speak with a supervisor upon landing."
In a communique to The Post, a Southwest spokesperson said that they apologized to the flier and provided a refund of her fare as a gesture of goodwill.
"Regarding our policies, each situation is very different, and our employees are responsible for following our Contract of Carriage, available on our website," added the mail.
