Pakistani-born Pilot
Sues NY-based Airline
New
York: A Pakistani-born pilot is suing New York JetBlue Airways
Corporation for discrimination, claiming the airline withdrew
a job offer on the basis of his background.
Faisal Baig, a US citizen raised in Yonkers (New York),
claimed in the suit that an airline manager told him in
March that he was a ‘security risk’.
“Are you saying that you are not hiring me because
of my name or my religion? Are you saying you are not hiring
me because of where I’m from?” said Baig according
to the suit filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court. The manager
replied, “Yes, and JetBlue considers you a security
risk,” according to the suit.
Baig claimed that he was offered the job in February and
had already been given a ticket to attend the airline’s
training school in Orlando, Florida. The 40-year-old Muslim
was a previous employee of Independence Air for almost six
years.
“I was devastated. I’ve been living in this
country since I was 7, and somebody’s now telling
me I’m not a good American,” he said. Baig,
now a resident of Raleigh (North Carolina), sought an unspecified
sum of money in the suit.
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