A Jewish mother and her 6 children flying from Orlando to Newark Airport were thrown off the plane over a mask issue involving a toddler.
The father tells YWN that the mom and 5 of the children were all masked-up as they headed home to Flatbush, Brooklyn, but their youngest child – two years old, was not wearing a mask.
A flight attendant requested that the child wear a mask, but the mother explained that there is no way the child will wear one. More importantly, the mother also explained to the flight attendant that according to the JetBlue policy, her child was not even required to wear a mask.
YWN checked the JetBlue policy – available on their own website – which reads as follows: “Small children who are not able to maintain a face covering are exempt from this requirement.”
The flight attendants refused to listen to her, and demanded she get off the plane with her children. When she refused, the Captain ordered the entire flight to deplane and exit. Most people on the flight began sticking up for the woman, and screaming at the flight attendants. The screaming continued in the terminal, as irate passengers were seen on viral videos calling on everyone to call customer service and complain.
Meanwhile, the husband tells YWN that he is retaining a lawyer, and will immediately be filling a federal lawsuit against the airline.
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60 Responses
חילול השם.
There is NO Federal Lawsuit here. A complaint to the FAA maybe.
If the father reads the conditions of contract/carriage in ticket info, he’ll find that he is bound either to arbitration or the jurisdiction of a specific state (typically where the airline is incorporated).
It is not likely to find that some Constitutionally guaranteed Right was violated that would lead to an action in Federal Court.
And I’m sure once they arrived in Flatbush they’d go into their home for 14 days
This is not the first time a frum family has had an issue with JetBlue. There seems to be an increased intolerance for our people. I hope he files and wins big. They must feel the negative publicity and the pocket book attack lest they continue unabated. What’s going to happen come next winter. We will still fly JetBue.
All travelers 2 years and older must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning. Masks with vents or exhalation valves are not permitted. Plastic face shields may be worn in addition to a face covering but not in place of one. Customers with conditions that prevent them from wearing a face covering should postpone travel until this temporary requirement is no longer in place.
https://www.jetblue.com/travel-alerts
This article is misleading. It shows JetBlue policy effective May 4. JetBlue updated their policy on August 10 (as was widely covered in the press). The new policy is much stricter and eliminates ALL exemptions for wearing a mask, except in the case of a child under 2. I will bet you this child is older than 2. The JetBlue guidelines clearly state that if you cannot comply with the mask requirement FOR ANY REASON you should delay flying until after the pandemic is over. The also say that if you refuse to comply with the flight crew’s order to put on a mask you will be banned from the flight and from future JetBlue flights. They make it very clear that they will not tolerate any monkey business when it comes to this policy. I am certain that this mother had the opportunity to just comply for the sake of all the people waiting to fly home, but she decided to stand her ground which brought the matter to ahead.
The world we live in is a crazy one
Btw what happened to the family in the end?
Yes we ARE in Galus and this is a result of galus and a reminder. I feel terrible for this women and so should everyone. Common sense is not around anymore people are unreasonable restrictions is all about galus. We have had our freedom for quite a while but it looks like we are getting a taste of gales of old which was full of restrictions. However in the past the restrictions were limited to jews but Chessed Hashem that He restricted everyone and we don’t feel it too much but we must feel it .We must.
Sorry to say it. The current policy is 2 years and up to wear a mask. Just checked their website. The old policy was from May 05 2020, some 3.5 months ago and it looks like it changed since then. The Jet Blue people were correct in this case. Unless of course the child was under two then they were wrong
would be nice to remain apprised of this lawsuit!
just fyi from the most recent update (YWN’s pic is from april)
An acceptable face covering or mask must cover a customer’s nose and mouth and is required to board all JetBlue flights. If a crewmember identifies a face covering or mask that does not appear sufficient based on its features or potential lack of protection, they will provide a mask for the customer to use instead. Customers two years and younger will not be required to wear a face covering if they cannot maintain one.
it can be found at
http://blueir.investproductions.com/investor-relations/press-releases/2020/08-05-2020-133136855
As many of her ilk, the “mother” was also seen, in brief clips, to failed to comply with the requirement to wear a mask covering mouth and nose.
Enough said.
Lawsuit will go nowhere (and hopefully not cause further chilul…
I hope the Governor and Mayor keep an eye on this family since they are coming from Florida to make sure they all quarantine for the full 14 days.
The real question is, is it anti-semitism or just a case of an overly nervous flight attendant
Nope. The screenshot is from an outdated rule in May. Look at the newer one on mediaroom.jetblue.com from now. Masks for everyone to protect others. So it is fake news, very bad journalism on ur part
They should have been thrown off for creating a Chillel Hashem.
And for violating airline safety rules.
Airline staff are required to override regulations for other safety concerns. It is their call.
But I am not surprised.
Many in our community have no sensitivity for seniors who are scared to death yet masks are not worn in shul or in the streets.
I thank the Jet Blue staff for their actions and apologize for those in our community who are so stupid.
I would love to testify for Jet Blue in court.
She’s wrong. Small children refers to those under two. Her child was not under two. She also acted haughty and entitled.
The website does not say under two. It says two years and under, which means under three.
Honestly for once I dont belive it had anything to do with her being jewish aka anti-semitism Google, people being thrown off airplane flights and you see a whole lot.
masks are an initiation rite into the new world order
How do you keep a mask on a two and a half year old? Not easy…
After reading all the above posters, 18 in number, I withdraw my previous comment. I was not correct.
Boycott JetBlue
I wasn’t there so I cannot comment with authority about the issue.
However, I don’t understand why the mother made an issue over this. She should have said, “ok”, put a mask on the child and let nature take its course. The plane would have taken off, the child would have taken off his mask, some people might have grumbled, but the plance would not return to the airport over it. Instead, a whole mountain arose instead of the molehill it was.
Heelllllooooo! Are we not supposed to judge someone until we stand in their shoes, which is of course impossible because every situation is different? When was the last time YOU tried travelling/flying with 5 small children? We see her sitting on the plane —- do you know how much effort it took for her just to get there? All the organizing, transportation, packing, etc. And she DID try to put the mask on the young child’s face, who was not agreeable. I don’t know if I would have reacted any better, or maybe even worse……I am not saying that Jet Blue was incorrect to request she disembark, they do have their regulations, but stop with the judgement calls!
For the record: JetBlue updated their website yesterday 8/19/20 at 2:00pm , 44minutes after the flight was supposed to have left at 1:16. Take a look for yourselves. So before you accuse and blame a frum Jewish lady travelling alone with 6 kids, a lady from klal yisroel, when you clearly weren’t there and have no idea what happened, perhaps you should check out the facts. You can find the updated status on JetBlue’s website where it states clearly the date and time it was updated. The child IS 2 yrs old, she was eating snacks and does not need to wear a mask while eating, and ALL the passengers were siding with the family. In fact, another (non Jewish) family was kicked off for siding with them. Shame on you all for jumping to conclusions and for not supporting one of our own!
Even if the updated rules indeed say ‘from 2’, and technically and incisively she was mistaken, nonetheless…
The ones commenting against this women are disgusting people lacking the basic middos of what defines a Yid. And they are too stuck in the mode of fastidiously sheltering behind the rules, in much the same way the ‘polite Germans’ would when justifying their atrocities against us.
Show some common sense.
And show some compassion.
As an aside, there is certainly no Chillul HaShem here, not even in your warped definition of (how we are perceived by Goyim) since the entire flight seemed to be on her side.
And if you actually watch the video you’ll see that she is not being aggressive nor obstinate. She was trying to comply, she offered to make a way to force and secure the mask for the child. But the the air-hostess said, ‘too late, won’t help now’. The mother was not being uncompromising in the video, the poor woman was simply stressed, and understandingly so being that she is by herself, flying with 6 kids, in the midst of the current situation, with a crying baby and the pressure of an entire flight’s worth of angry passengers, expenses and inconveniences (to put it mildly) at risk.
I’m not saying JetBlue is necessarily at fault either, they also have to try to enforce their rules (though after disembarking there is a black child in the background who looks possibly over 1 year old without a mask), and the air-hostess wasn’t being belligerent. But there is still plenty of room for understanding and compromise. The attitude and approach of JetBlue was unfortunate somewhat contemptible.
And the attitude and approach of those commentators is reprehensible!
JetBlie may have updated their policy on Aug 10th, but did not update their website until Aug 19th 2pm after the incident, as noted by the Daily News. I myself, just like yeshivaworld, had checked it before 2 pm, and it still had the old policy.
Even the new policy was never meant to have parent put child in handcuffs. Any child who cannot cooperate is no different than a child under two. They both may post a very slight risk but has to be ignored due to impossibility of relief. It seems that all non-jewish passengers onboard understood this, but some self-hating brothers here have a problem with understanding.
What a huge gap between the YWN staffer who assumed that everyone would sympathize with this story and reader reactions.
I’m not a lawyer, and I’m not taking sides, but I just wanted to point out that the policy on JetBlue’s website was not updated until yesterday, August 19. Wayback machine has a snapshot from August 18 showing the old policy.
Why were they traveling to Florida during the plague. FLorida is a hot zone!
Fakenews- maybe she booked her flight in may during the old policy?
The policy that YWN shared is about 4 months old. There have been multiple updates, changes, and FAA regulations since then- Jetblue requiring that age 2 and up must wear a mask, and no medical exemptions. I don’t agree with the policy, but I’d certainly respect and act according to the documented rules if I were in the situation. I see this as a Chillul Hashem by the family.
Typical Karen/Chanie from Flatbush
For all the big ‘Journalists’ in the comments, I urge you to read Dansdeals article on the story. If you ever used the wayback machine….you’ll see this family was in the Right, and JetBlue was in the Wrong! JetBlue actually had the audacity to change the website wording the night after this incident!!!
Disgusting!! A vast array of these comments. I know it sounds rash and extreme but it helps me better understand the ‘Kapo’ factor in the Holocaust.
One question for all you ‘Chillul Hashem’ Tzaddikim: Can you tell me where in the Rambam/Shulchan Aruch you find Hilchos Chillul Hashem?
Bulletien!!!!!!!!!!: Chillum Hashem doesn’t mean when YOU’RE uncomfortable with how YOU might be perceived.
All in all this is for the best. This Mishpacha will now become millionaires one way or another.
Are you kidding??? How is it a chilul Hashem when all the passengers are sticking up for her? Who are you to decide what a chilul Hashem is? Do you even know what a chilul Hashem is? Some of you people are a bunch of disgusting board people! We’re all אחינו בני ישראל it’s about time we stick up for one another and show אחדות.
JetBlue might have changed the website again yesterday, but the policy regarding 2 and up needing to wear masks was up. The website is also clear that if you cannot comply,for any reason (non-compliant child etc..) you need to rebook your travel for later. I am also sure that the mother could have made a feeble attempt to put a mask on the child in the presence of the crew member and that would have sufficed to get the plane off the ground. From her tone it sounded like she felt entitled and knew better and was determined to make her point. The other passengers defending her is no proof. They just wanted to get home and figured they could easier prevail on the stewardess then on a hysterical woman and crying child. The fact is that JetBlue has released to the media a copy of the email sent to the mother clearly stating that the 2 year old will need to wear a mask. The fathers typical reaction that he was going to immediately make a federal case out of this also fed into the worst stereotypes about us Jews.
CTLAWYER: your first comment and second comment contradict each other and your second comment is just wrong. You first correctly point out that she probably has an arbitration clause which prevents a suit. You then say that she did not have a constitutionally right violated and therefore she does not have a federal action. But (1) even if she did have a constitutional right violated she cannot sue in federal court because of the arbitration clause; (2) you can sue someone in federal court even without a constitutional right violated when there is diversity or any federal question – not only a constitutional federal question and (3) her right to not wear a mask can be seen as a form of free speech making her right constitutional. In short, your second statement is wrong any way you look at it.
As for those blaming the mom: shame on you.
ChiryBim and alike. you’re jumping on this family with ‘ chilul hashem’. you must be a big ‘ am h’aretz’ this is not considered chilul hashem. when a yid does an aveirah b’rabim that’s a chilul hashem. standing up for your right is not chilul hashem.
Kinsler – Djgreen: If it smells like a Chillel Hashem; then it is a Chillel Hashem.
Some people are a walking Chillel Hashem.
Remember, we are in Gah’lis and this is not our country.
We are guests here and need to show gratitude, not rudeness.
If you are ignorant in these issues; then you need to learn musser where the sefarim discuss the seriousness of Chillel Hashem.
You will learn that Chillel Hashem is the most serious sin; there is no kaparah except for your own death.
She would have been better off just saving her breath for a few kapitlach tehillam. Yidden have to know that it’s not always a good idea to fight with goyim, even if you’re right. Look at the outcome: everyone had to get off the plane, and she didn’t accomplish anything. I’m sure that a lot of the people on the plane were annoyed. I think that we have gotten to comfortable in America.
The new rules were put up by JetBlue after the incident.
I’ve never seen as much lying as the morans on this site
It is not clear from the videos exactly who is at fault here, but I want to make a general observation.
It would appear that the minute a passenger shows signs of not listening to instructions , the staff seem to have a desire or maybe even an instruction to have that passenger off the plane. It is not geared to Yidden only. A passenger who does not listen to instructions becomes a liability at 35000 feet and a scary one at that. Flying is intrinsically dangerous. So my advice is just listen to what you are told. (if the mask comes off, put it on again!) I always do and I have only ever received courtesy from flight staff and I am obviously Jewish, bearded etc.
wear a mask that says Trump2020 and see how fast the policy changes
Did you see the cold disregard and even contempt reaction by the male attendant as she left the plane? Where is the humanity in face of a struggling mom?
Yaapchick: We will keep on flying jetblue and also fress in restauraunts and also talk in shul by davening etc.
YonNews:
“Struggling mom?”
Because her kid couldn’t survive without her pacy for a 2 and a half hour flight!?
$2000 sheitel, another $1200 for plane tickets, a vacation in Florida while multigenerational businesses are going bankrupt in the Tri State area and every גמ”ח is at the breaking point, putting aside the foolishness of vacationing in Florida while they are overwhelmed with a pandemic and that everyone knows she has absolutely no intention of quarantining when she gets back…
@ cherrybim
You are the chilul Hashem! Shame on you! your a disgrace to the Jewish Nation!
Ps. After you learn the laws and what a chilul Hashem is, learn how to spell.
Every Shul MUST also adopt this policy of no-one [Not even Chazzan & Ba’al-Korei] past 2nd birthday being allowed in, without face mask covering both mouth & nose, and should be immediately expelled, if refuse to wear mask over both mouth & face:- Anyone who goes any public place without a mask covering nose & mouth is by definition an outright רודף and רוצח; This even includes anyone & everyone on 13th Avenue not wearing face mask over both nose & mouth.
YWN commenter vocabulary:
Chilul Hashem = I disagree with you
“The website does not say under two. It says two years and under, which means under three.”
Did you fail English in school? It doesn’t mean under three. Two years and under means up to and including his second birthday. The next day he is OVER two years old.
Hey ywn moderater. I noticed that you usually dont post my comments. I guess the truth hurts.
wow jetblue is making ELAL jealous I am sure ELAL executives are debating making this standard policy for all frum families
If ever someone wonders how Yidden could’ve been kapos you see it right here how many people could’ve been just that. I rather feel more comfortable with the goyim sticking up for the mother than being around these brainwashed Jewish kapos. The Nazis made rules and the kapos had to “obey the law”. They did not care about their fellow Jews only that they had to “obey the law”, maybe even not make a chilul Hashem so the “goyim won’t hate us more” …
The flight attendants hate the woman because she has five kids and they likely have none. So when they found a way to go after her they did.
BARUCH SHE LO ASANI GOY!
A real yid would have rachmanus on a woman travelling alone with 6 kids. I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been to travel like that and have cold hearted staff be so rule abiding.
This would never happen in a frum world. As much as corona exists. The big picture exists more.
Don’t make corona the king of the world.
Those who bashed this woman, I’m sure you would have been equally upset if not more. Who in the world would be calm and compliant about this?!!?
This is so insane. Where is the humanity.
I live in Israel and went to the zoo, and the secular workers were on us to keep putting our masks back on our noses – all the while the secular families wearing barely any clothes were not commented to.
This is not about masks. This is not about corona. It’s about showing how much I want to be in charge. So when I want to push and push to be in charge I forget about HKBH.
Let’s make Hashem our king – now that it is Elul – and not a mask, and not corona.
Hatzlacha.
Hey you are all missing the most important point. No need to argue over the rule of over two…under two… Bottom line the child was crying and didn’t want to wear the mask. What should the mother do? Put her child in a straight jacket and maybe put her in an induced coma?? All for the sake of “obeying the law”?? All these politically correct people upholding the law can’t even fathom such a thing as bending the law for a two year old.