A Delta passenger named Lisa Archbold claims that she was threatened to be kicked off a flight because she was not wearing a bra and was targeted and humiliated in the incident. Archbold boarded a flight from Salt Lake City to San Francisco wearing baggy jeans, a loose white T-shirt, and no bra. She was temporarily escorted off the plane by a gate agent who demanded that she cover up, even though her breasts were not visible. Archbold felt that she was being targeted and humiliated during this incident and had her attorney, Gloria Allred, speak out about it in a news conference in Los Angeles.
Archbold, who is a self-employed DJ known as Djette Kiwi, felt that the incident was a spectacle aimed at punishing her for not conforming to the agent’s idea of how a woman should dress. She described feeling like a scarlet letter was being attached to her and being scolded outside the plane for her attire. The gate agent reportedly found her clothing revealing and offensive and claimed that it violated the airline’s policy. Archbold was allowed to fly on the condition that she put another shirt on top of the one she was wearing and had a conversation with the head flight attendant who reiterated Delta’s policy.
Allred has since written to Delta on behalf of Archbold, demanding a meeting with the airline president to discuss the discriminatory policy that was enforced in this situation. Allred pointed out the discrepancy in how male and female passengers are treated, with male passengers not being required to cover up their T-shirts or wear a bra. She emphasized that breasts are not weapons and that it is not a crime for a woman to have them. According to Delta’s rules, the airline may refuse to transport passengers if their conduct, attire, hygiene, or odor create an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers.
Despite the incident, there are currently no plans for a lawsuit, and Archbold’s main desire is to have a meeting with Delta’s boss to ensure that the policies will be updated. A Delta representative has already contacted Archbold earlier in the year with an apology regarding the situation. Allred stressed the importance of updating policies to prevent further incidents like this from occurring in the future. The incident has sparked a conversation about gender discrimination and double standards in airline policies, with the focus on treating all passengers equally regardless of gender. The Post has reached out to Delta for comment on the situation.
