A mother and her minor daughter are at the center of a racial discrimination lawsuit against a major airline, highlighting the ongoing struggle against racial bias in the United States. On March 28, 2025, Teresa Hudson Jordan filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Delta Air Lines, Inc., alleging that she and her daughter were victims of discriminatory treatment on a flight.
The incident occurred on March 27, 2024, when Teresa Hudson Jordan and her daughter N.J. were passengers on Delta Flight 5792. According to the complaint, Ms. Jordan was traveling in first class with her daughter when they encountered Stephanie “Doe,” a white flight attendant who allegedly verbally assaulted Ms. Jordan after she made eye contact with her. The complaint describes how this interaction escalated into an aggressive confrontation where Ms. Jordan was threatened with removal from the plane if she did not comply with lowering her gaze. Despite complying, Ms. Jordan and her daughter were removed from the flight based on false accusations made by Flight Attendant Doe that Ms. Jordan was disruptive.
Witnesses on the flight corroborated Ms. Jordan’s account, describing the treatment as akin to being treated “like a dog or a slave.” One passenger even filed a complaint stating they had never seen such aggression from a flight attendant before. The plaintiffs allege that Delta Air Lines failed to investigate these claims or respond to multiple eyewitness accounts confirming Ms. Jordan’s innocence.
The lawsuit claims violations of federal law under 42 U.S.C. § 1981, which prohibits racial discrimination in contractual relationships, as well as intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault among other allegations. The plaintiffs argue that Delta’s actions have caused them severe emotional trauma including symptoms of PTSD and have jeopardized Ms. Jordan’s professional responsibilities due to her avoidance of air travel post-incident.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress and financial losses incurred due to this incident, punitive damages to deter future misconduct by Delta Air Lines, and injunctive relief requiring Delta to implement anti-discrimination training for its staff.
Representing Teresa Hudson Jordan is Joseph & Norinsberg LLC with attorneys Jon L. Norinsberg and Bennitta L. Joseph leading the case in court under Case ID: 1:26-cv-00248-SEG.
Source: 126cv248_Teresa_Hudson_v_Delta_Air_Lines_Complaint_Northern_District_of_Georgia.pdf
