On an American Airlines flight from St. Lucia to Miami on Saturday, Dana Finley Morrison, a chapter and organization worker with the Delta Sigma Theta sorority in Missouri, spotted the pilot’s “Let’s Go Brandon” decal.
The slogan is a Biden-bashing expression, and it was developed in September after a Nascar reporter misinterpreted “F*** Joe Biden” chants.
Morrison tweeted American: “Y’all cool with your pilots displaying this kind of cowardly rhetoric on their crew luggage when they’re in uniform, about to board a plane? We are not the only passengers who noticed and were disgusted.”
The airline replied: “Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we want to get this to the right team. Please DM any additional details.”
Morrison shared screenshots of her following conversation with the airline, in which one message reads: “We hold our team members to the highest standards and expectations.”
Only authorized, preapproved badges or pins are allowed for employees, according to the airline’s rules. Pilots are only permitted to wear three pins at once because of this policy.
The pilot has been placed under investigation by the airline for his pin.
However, the airline has sparked outrage online, with some claiming that the pilot should be permitted to voice his opinions.
Others focused on the airline’s hypocrisy, noting that it had announced in September 2020 that its employees would be permitted to wear Black Lives Matter pins.
The airline explained its decision with the statement: “American Airlines believes in equity and inclusion for all. light of the appropriate attention to lives of Black Americans, we will allow team members who wish to wear a Black Lives Matter pin to do so if they choose. We Believe Black Lives Matter. While American isn’t expressing support for specific organizations, we stand in solidarity with the movement for equality and justice for Black Americans who continue to experience racism and discrimination.”
Regarding the incident, one person said: “The World is watching. If crew can openly wear BLM merch, hard to justify censoring this.”
Another person said: “You guys have no problem with your employees sporting Democratic party, BLM, or rainbow regalia while they’re on the job. Why should this be any different?”
One person posted: “Will never fly American again if you discipline an employee for having a political opinion.”
“If he’s not pushing the agenda on the passengers and not spewing stuff over the intercom she can mind her own business!” one commenter wrote. “This young man has done nothing wrong.”
The pilot’s identity has not been revealed, nor has it been stated whether he will be sanctioned for wearing the prohibited item.
The airline has yet to respond to inquiries.
