Black Spirit Airways flight attendant is suing for sacking as a result of she was too obese to buckle up her folding seat

A former Spirit Airways flight attendant is now suing the corporate after claiming she was discriminated towards and unfairly fired as a result of she was too obese to strap herself into her leap seat.

African-American Chelsia Blackmon claims she was the sufferer of racial discrimination after a white colleague, who she mentioned additionally could not “match” within the leap seat and buckle up, was in a position to preserve his job after being given the prospect reduce weight.

Though there is no such thing as a set weight restrict for flight attendants on the airline, they have to have the ability to match and buckle within the leap seat for security causes.

On social media, some have advised that girls as much as at the least dimension 18 with a waist of round 40 inches would simply match within the rumble seat on most airliners.

Blackmon claims a white flight attendant who had the identical downside was given extra time to reduce weight to slot in the seat

Throughout her coaching, Blackmon needed to reveal that she might buckle herself in a flight attendant jumpseat utilizing a four-point seat belt, however she couldn’t buckle herself on Airbus A319 flights

Blackmon’s grievance, filed final month in Florida, the place Spirit is predicated, notes that she had accomplished and handed all coaching and compliance protocols, together with being buckled right into a leap seat with a four-point seat belt.

Blackmon, who hails from Houston, Texas, says she has efficiently confirmed she will buckle into the assorted leap seats and harnesses used on Spirit’s Airbus A320 sequence plane and has flown a number of flights with no issues .

It was solely after engaged on an Airbus A319 flight on September 3, 2021 that she discovered that she couldn’t buckle into the leap seat resulting from her dimension.

She was not allowed to make use of an extension belt and was ordered to exit the airplane.

Blackmon was instantly positioned on administrative go away earlier than a gathering was held to debate their future.

In response to the grievance, on the assembly she was requested to reveal that she was in a position to buckle herself correctly right into a rumble seat.

The next month, in October 2021, Blackmon once more needed to strap herself right into a leap seat to work on an airplane, however discovered it was once more too small for her.

Shortly thereafter, she was suspended from responsibility and fired in November for not becoming the seat.

In court docket paperwork considered by Enterprise Insider, Blackmon instantly accuses Spirit of racial discrimination, noting {that a} white flight attendant who had simply began with the airline confronted the identical leap seat concern, however was given it a number of months earlier than being requested , to show that she might “cross”. into the seat.

Chelsia Blackmon accuses Spirit Airline of racial discrimination after being fired for not becoming in crew’s leap seat

Blackmon is in search of unspecified reduction within the type of surcharges, damages, and punitive damages

Blackmon suffered “lack of wages, damages, psychological anguish and struggling” due to “discriminatory and illegal differential therapy based mostly on her race,” the grievance mentioned.

She mentioned the airline’s actions have been “willful and malicious and in reckless disregard for his or her civil rights.”

The lawsuit would not clarify whether or not Blackmon gained extra weight after finishing her coaching class or whether or not she believes some jumpseat straps have been smaller than meant.

Blackmon is in search of again wages, damages, compensatory damages and authorized charges by jury.

The lawsuit would not clarify whether or not Blackmon gained extra weight after finishing her coaching class or whether or not she believes some jumpseat straps have been smaller than meant