A Queens couple, Michael Nektalov and Miryem Yushanayev, along with their five children, were removed from a New York-bound JetBlue flight on February 4, 2021, and are now suing the airline for $40 million, claiming they were targeted because of their Orthodox Jewish faith.
According to court papers filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, the family was dressed in accordance with their religious customs, with Miryem wearing a head covering and Michael sporting a long beard and yarmulke. They also spoke Hebrew at times during their time on the plane. The couple alleges that JetBlue employees gave them “disdainful and dirty looks” before falsely accusing Miryem of not wearing a face mask and removing her from the plane. A second Jewish family was also asked to leave the flight.
The family claims they were singled out and subjected to discrimination, with Michael stating that he felt like they were in “Nazi Germany” and being “isolated, vilified, and herded for disposal.”
The lawsuit seeks $40 million in damages for alleged emotional distress and harm to the family’s reputation.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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10 Responses
I hope they win and I will go collecting by them on Purim.
Why don’t we save these types of law suits for real discrimination? Odds are they were not wearing the masks. Just because someone gave you a dirty look doesn’t mean you are entitled to 40 million dollars.
Considering the amounts of money that President Donald Trump שליט”א and Rudy Giuliani have recently been ordered to pay, $40M is really a very small amount of money for Jet Blue who probably has way deeper pockets than probably both President Donald Trump שליט”א and Rudy Giuliani combined
Why only 40 million? How about 100 million? Why not sue anyone who steps on your toes accidentally while standing in the supermarket check out line? I may sue the shul gabai for not giving me shlishi last Shabbos. It was humiliating!
Yidden acting like Yidden. Move along, nothing to see here.
Trump had to pay for rape. Guiliani had to pay for terrorism.
If this is truly a case of religious discrimination (which none of us can determine from this article alone), that’s very unfortunate, very wrong and needs to be addressed through proper channels. However, the husband’s comment about feeling like they “were in Nazi Germany”? I don’t imagine he really knows what it felt like to have been in Nazi Germany. Very poor comparison. He could have simply stated that they were made to feel very badly, were embarrassed, singled out for no apparent reason etc. But Nazi Germany? How disrespectful to everyone who lived through – and died because of – that horrific period in our history. Words matter.
“Odds are they were not wearing the masks.”
Really? On what basis do you feel you have the right to say that? Wuz you there, Bud?
A boycott of jet blue by jews will probably cause the company to lose much more.
domenick00,
You are what remains after removing the omen from your name.