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       lite.cnn.com - on gopher - inofficial
       
       
       ARTICLE VIEW: 
       
       Lufthansa fined a record $4 million for denying boarding to 128 Jews
       who didn’t know each other
       
       By Jordan Valinsky, CNN
       
       Updated: 
       
       10:04 PM EDT, Tue October 15, 2024
       
       Source: CNN
       
       Lufthansa, Germany’s biggest airline, has been fined a record $4
       million for discriminating against Jewish passengers, the US Department
       of Transportation announced Tuesday.
       
       The fine stems from a May 2022 incident in which the airline prohibited
       128 Jewish passengers from boarding. The that the passengers were
       wearing “distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men.”
       They were denied boarding as a group and were unable to connect in
       Frankfurt to Budapest from a New York flight because of “alleged
       misbehavior of a few.”
       
       However, the passengers did not know each other nor were they traveling
       together.
       
       In a press release, the airline said the incident “resulted from an
       unfortunate series of inaccurate communications, misinterpretations,
       and misjudgments throughout the decision-making process” and that
       these actions, “although regrettable, do not support any finding of
       discrimination and the department’s findings in this case.”
       
       The misbehavior detailed in the report includes 60 passengers onboard
       “repeatedly disregarded” safety and public announcements from
       flight attendants and the flight deck. The crew said that some
       passengers obstructed flight attendants in economy class from its
       on-board food and beverage service, “inconvenienced other
       passengers” and argued with the crew about wearing masks.
       
       The DOT said that Tuesday’s penalty is its largest ever issued by the
       federal agency for civil rights violations.
       
       “No one should face discrimination when they travel, and today’s
       action sends a clear message to the airline industry that we are
       prepared to investigate and take action whenever passengers’ civil
       rights are violated,” said US Transportation Secretary Pete
       Buttigieg in the release.
       
       Lufthansa said in a comment to CNN that following the “incident
       involving our Jewish passengers, Lufthansa has fully cooperated with
       the DOT throughout its review process.”
       
       The airline added that its partnering with Jewish groups, like the
       American Jewish Committee to create training programs for its employees
       to “address antisemitism and discrimination.”
       
       “Lufthansa is dedicated to being an ambassador of goodwill,
       tolerance, diversity, and acceptance,” an airline statement said.
       
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