Spirit Airlines Kicks Off Autistic Child for Not Wearing a Mask
Why didn’t anyone at Spirit think about exempting those with medical conditions?!
The Kimball family had no problem flying on Spirit Airlines from Little Rock to Las Vegas last weekend with Carter, their non-verbal autistic 4-year-old child.
On the way home, the airline kicked the boy off the plane because he did not wear a mask. The family had a note from a physician exempting him from a mask due to his condition.
The common people face backlash over masks while flying. Yet snobby John Kerry can take his mask off on a flight without any problem.
It looks like the problem occurred in Dallas, TX. Needless to say Carter’s mom Callie is upset.
From THV11:
“He had a medical note from his physician stating that he’s exempt from wearing masks because whenever he wears a mask he holds his breath or he starts freaking out and he will harm himself,” said Kimball.
She says they’ve always flown with Spirit and never had any issues until now.
She says they were on board the plane and her husband showed them the note, but Spirit employees still kicked them off.
“He has a disability. It’s protected under the American Disability Act and they go ‘No no no no. Autism’s not a disability. He has to wear a mask or he has to get off the plane.'”
Carter loves planes, and to be removed from one upset the 4-year old.
“Kids on the spectrum, they’re usually very obsessed with something. He is obsessed with airplanes. So he was sitting in his seat being quietly and looking out the window, and this lady was like ‘Get off!'”
Autism is not a disability? Excuse me?
The incident stranded the family in Dallas. They had to pay $1,000 for a flight on American Airlines, which accepted Carter’s note.
Spirit Airlines explained that it instilled a mask mandate like other airlines in May 2020.
However, unlike most other airlines, Spirit did not have a medical disability exemption.
Spirit Airlines changed its tune:
Starting March 19, 2021, Guests with a medical disability who are traveling on or after March 22, 2021 can apply for an exemption as provided for in the federal mandate requiring masks in airports and on planes. We plan to add information to our website about the exemption later this week. Please visit our Information Center for more information on what we are doing to keep our Guests and Team Members safe.
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Comments
March 19th? Too late. Sue the bastards.
If I were Spirit, I’d be jumping through hoops tp make these people happy.
And American’s response to John Kerry?
One does wonder what would have happened if Mr. Kerry had flown on Spirit Airlines.
Actually, one doesn’t wonder at all.
This situation (which Spirit moved quickly to ‘fix’) does illustrate a very worrying situation in America — the death or ordinary, common sense.
The parents of an autistic child show the flight crew a doctor’s note that states with specificity that the child shouldn’t wear a mask. Common sense would say that the flight crew should accept that. But no, they had to indulge their inner authoritarian and boot the family.
We see this more and more. It’s as if we all must follow orders and not think.
Given my experience with Spirit (having them cancel my flight on a Sunday, and leaving a plane load of customers to wait until Tuesday at their own expense, or pay American’s exorbitant rate – if they could get a seat), I’m amazed this is the first problem this family has had with them.
“He had a medical note from his physician stating that he’s exempt from wearing masks because whenever he wears a mask he holds his breath or he starts freaking out and he will harm himself,” said Kimball.
It’s amazing how many wanna-be potentates in government or business claim superior authority than actual medical doctors.
Lawsuit. And not just the airline; the individual flight attendants for their gobsmacking ignorance of the law, which, I have on good authority, is no excuse.
Just ask serial ADA lawsuit filer, Sacramento-area attorney Scott N. Johnson, who successfully sued thousands of small businesses in Northern California alleging violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
ADA doesn’t cover the airlines. They are covered by the FAR’s. Your target is the FAA and/or your favorite congress critter. Public humiliation of Spirit is highly recommended. Cheers –
Well, the Air Carrier Access act, really, The only defense is to assert the boy (who had no symptoms or other evidence of infection or sickness) was a health threat to the passengers and crew. An airline may disallow service on this basis, and is likely the rationale their attorneys used to draft the earlier policy.
However, I do not think this is litigation Spirit would want. It’s a no win in that even if they were to win in court on the merit, the publicity is awful. I would obsequiously apologize, and proclaim the boy corporate ambassador for the disabled with free tickets for him and his parents for life (on stand-bye of course, in very small print at the bottom of the settlement).
Air Carrier Access Act. Noted. Thank you. It’s very comprehensive in its Prohibition of Discriminatory Practices – particularly disabilities.
As such, same argument: “(sue)…not just the airline; the individual flight attendants for their gobsmacking ignorance of the law, which, I have on good authority, is no excuse.”
I agree that a generous settlement would be the best outcome. And that’s the point of most lawsuits.
https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities
I do not think going after the individual flight attendants would be a fruitful use of time unless they have some sort of relevant liability insurance.
I am glad Spirit quickly revised their policies, but it is unfortunate such an incident had to occur to force that. I do wonder if Spirit did this because it was the right thing to do, or a way to try a limit past, current, and future liability.
The feds don’t seem to be held to the ADA either. There has been no medical exemption for muzzles on military bases since the beginning. I haven’t been able to go into the commissary, exchange, or pharmacy for the last year.
I wonder if your service horse has to wear a mask?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N2gJo7Fxzg
Risk of animals spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.htmlpeople
Some coronaviruses that infect animals can be spread to people and then spread between people, but this is rare.
I wonder how rare it is, since this who thing was supposedly started from animal to man. Any rarer that if you are under sixty that you are going to be hospitalized or die from it?
Maybe we should demand everyone go back to 6 feet of separation. Including the seats on the plane.
Hit them in the wallet. I read they don’t really expect the public back in force until late 2022 or so.
Sighance baby, sighance.
That’s because Fauci is saying that we should all wear masks until 2022, regardless of hospital capacity, actual deaths, or “case” rates. That means I will be postponing any vacation plans for another year, because I am absolutely not getting on a plane if I have to wear a mask for the entirety of the terminal + plane trip + exit terminal. If the airlines want to keep mandating masks permanently then they have permanently lost a customer.
Just claim the boy is John fing Kerry’s nephew. That’ll do it.
I honestly think the Hijab is a better symbol than the mask. Both are inconvenient to wear, one displays love of God the other displays love of Fauci.
“…one displays love of God the other displays love of Fauci.”
But you repeat yourself.