On Saturday morning, a man was reportedly removed from a Delta Airlines flight at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport for wearing a shirt with an image of former President Donald Trump that made obscene gestures and referenced a internet memeaccording to the New York Post.
The incident occurred after the man had already complied with a request to change his shirt, but he immediately put it back on in its original state before leaving.
The man wore a black T-shirt that showed Trump wearing American flag-colored sunglasses and holding up two middle fingers. The shirt also read, “Hawk tuah spit on that thang,” a reference to a viral internet clip.
According to a post in the Reddit group r/delta, the man announced as he walked down the aisle with his luggage, “I’m getting kicked out because of my shirt.”
He also made a derogatory comment about a female flight attendant who escorted him off the plane, saying, “And this is her report, stupid Wendy.”
According to SKBeachGirl’s post, the man was waiting to board the plane when an airline employee told him that someone had complained about his shirt. He was told that he would have to exchange the shirt or he would not be allowed to board. The man initially did so by turning the shirt inside out and was allowed to board.
“The next thing I know, just before takeoff, a Delta employee comes on board and escorts him off the plane. He had turned his shirt back to the side with the decals,” SKBeachGirl wrote.
Delta Airlines has a policy that in its Contract of carriage which gives the air carrier the authority to remove passengers from flights for reasons such as the comfort or safety of passengers, the comfort or safety of others, or to prevent damage to property.
The policy states that passengers can be removed if their “conduct, dress, hygiene or odor creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers,” among other criteria.
This is not the first time issues related to clothing have caused disruptions to Delta flights. Earlier this year, another Delta passenger, Lisa Aartsbold38, said she was nearly thrown off a flight after trying to board without wearing a bra.
Archbold alleged that the incident occurred when she boarded a flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco in January. She was wearing baggy jeans and a loose white T-shirt with no bra. A gate agent temporarily escorted her off the plane and demanded that she cover up, even though her breasts were not visible.
Archbold claimed the gate agent told her her clothing was “revealing” and “offensive,” in addition to being against airline policy.