A father and his minor daughter have filed a lawsuit against JetBlue Airways, alleging racial discrimination during their travel experience. The complaint was filed by Ronald Friedrich Funke and his daughter, A.F., represented by Dunning Rievman & MacDonald LLP, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Dec. 4, 2024.
The lawsuit centers on an incident that occurred on June 25, 2024, when Funke and his daughter were traveling from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Aruba on JetBlue flight B6-557.
According to the complaint, after disembarking from the plane in Aruba, they were detained and interrogated by law enforcement officials on suspicion of child trafficking. The confrontation was reportedly prompted by a report from JetBlue crew members, who cited the visible racial differences between Funke, who is Caucasian, and his daughter, A.F., who is Eurasian.
The plaintiffs argue that this treatment was discriminatory and violated their rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, which prohibits racial discrimination in making and enforcing contracts. They also cite violations of the New York State Human Rights Law and the New York City Human Rights Law.
The complaint alleges the crew acted with "actual malice," claiming that JetBlue did not sufficiently investigate before making the report.
Funke claims the incident caused significant emotional distress for both him and his daughter. He states that A.F., then 14, now feels self-conscious about her appearance and race as a result of the public humiliation they endured.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages exceeding $150,000 for each claim, as well as punitive damages, attorney’s fees, and other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
James Montgomery of Dunning Rievman & MacDonald LLP, representing the plaintiffs, argues that JetBlue’s actions were not only discriminatory but also defamatory, falsely accusing Funke of trafficking his own child without proper evidence or justification.
The case has been assigned Case ID 1:24-cv-08333.