Rabbi removed for refusing to sit next to woman sues JetBlue

Rabbi Abraham Lunger, an Orthodox Jew from New York, is suing the airline JetBlue following an incident that has sparked allegations of antisemitism. The lawsuit stemmed from an event in which Lunger was removed from a flight from Palm Springs to New York after he requested a seat change to avoid sitting next to a woman, citing his religious beliefs.

The confrontation began when a flight attendant, followed by the pilot, demanded he return to his original seat. After he refused, he was removed him from the flight.

JetBlue, the American airline at the center of this dispute, found itself accused of religious discrimination. Lunger’s ordeal took place on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, making the incident particularly poignant for the Orthodox community.

Recognizable by his traditional attire, including a black coat and hat, along with his sidelocks, Lunger was traveling with his two daughters. Unfortunately, their seats were not together, and despite his efforts, he was unable to secure adjacent seats at the check-in counter. The airline’s staff suggested he might arrange a swap with another passenger on board.

The issue of seat swapping to accommodate religious preferences has been contentious, especially after Israel’s El Al was legally prohibited in 2017 from asking women to move seats at the request of Orthodox men. Lunger asserted that he did not expect JetBlue to compel anyone to switch seats.

Instead, when he realized a woman would be seated beside him, he politely inquired with fellow passengers if someone would be willing to exchange seats. A male passenger agreed to the swap, yet a flight attendant intervened, loudly instructing Lunger to revert to his assigned seat.

The lawsuit filed in New York District Court emphasizes, “Rabbi Lunger endeavored to uphold his religious convictions without imposing on others, never once resorting to force, raising his voice, or making threats.”

Following the altercation with the flight attendant, the pilot intervened, citing potential weight and balance issues as a reason why seat swapping was not permissible. Lunger’s refusal led to the pilot’s decision to eject him from the flight. Subsequently, JetBlue left Lunger and his daughters stranded in Palm Springs without assistance, even going so far as to withhold their luggage to prevent flight delays.

This legal battle highlights multiple discrimination and civil rights violations, with Lunger seeking both damages and emotional distress compensation.

This incident is not JetBlue’s first encounter with accusations of antisemitism. Previously, a Jewish couple from Queens, New York, alleged they were unfairly removed from a JetBlue flight due to their Orthodox appearance, following disdainful treatment from airline staff. In another case in 2022, JetBlue faced a lawsuit from a kosher certification company, accusing the airline of selling non-kosher food under fraudulent certification marks.