Crazy: Delta Air Lines Forces Marine Corps Veteran To Remove “End Veteran Suicide” Shirt

A Marine Corps veteran claims a Delta Air Lines employee forced her to remove her “end veteran suicide” shirt or face ejection from a flight. If true, Delta owes this woman a public apology and the employee should face discipline not just for what was done, but for how it was communicated.

Veteran Claims Delta Air Lines Forced Her To Remove “End Veteran Suicide” Suicide Or Be Denied Boarding

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Catherine Banks boarded a Delta Air Lines flight in San Francisco (SFO). She was wearing the shirt pictured above, which read:

Do Not Give In To The War Within
End Veteran Suicide

According to Banks, a flight attendant (probably a gate agent or other member of ground staff) approached her and asked her to step off the aircraft.

A local TV station in San Francisco interviewed her, with Banks telling NBC Bay Area a Delta employee scolded her for wearing the shirt and demanded she remove it or face removal from the flight:

“He said that shirt you’re wearing is threatening. I said, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m a Marine Corps vet. I’m going to see my Marine sister. I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years. I’m going to visit her.’ He said, ‘I don’t care about your service, and I don’t care about her service. The only way you’re going to get back on the plane is if you take it off right now.’”

Banks was told she could not just put a sweatshirt on over her t-shirt but had to remove her t-shirt or turn it inside out. She wasn’t wearing a bra, leaving her in the uncomfortable position of removing her top as she turned away from the Delta employee in order to turn it inside out on the jetbridge.

She was permitted back onboard, but claims that she was placed in the last row rather than the extra legroom seat she paid extra for.

Thus far, Delta has only said:

Delta is seeking to make contact with the customer directly to hear more so we can begin to look into what occurred.

My Thoughts On This Matter

First, Delta’s dress code (included in its contract of carriage) is vague, stating:

“Delta may refuse to transport or may remove passengers from its aircraft…[w]hen the passenger’s conduct, attire, hygiene or odor creates an unreasonable risk of offense or annoyance to other passengers.”

In a sense, that allows Delta to prohibit almost anything…but that doesn’t excuse what happened here.

One Mile At A Time speculated that maybe she was told to cover up for not wearing a bra…I mean, maybe? I suppose it’s possible, but that seems highly unlikely and I see no basis to even remotely suspect that she made her story up.

I understand that veteran suicide is not a light topic for a crowded airplane, but it is a huge problem and Banks’s effort to combat it is laudable; the sort of public service we should all applaud. You can buy this particular shirt from the Til Valhalla Project, which supports therapy for veterans in need.

There was nothing inappropriate about her shirt. Nothing.

And while I will not foreclose all possibility that there was not something else at play (maybe she became vocal about her cause onboard, which would not have been appropriate), I find that difficult to imagine. Remember that it was only months ago that American Airlines ground staff removed every black man onboard because it was alleged that one of them smelled (and they could not quickly determine which one). These sorts of crazy incidents are thankfully few and far between, but still happen.

My theory is that the employee was not the sharpest knife in the drawer and did not read the shirt carefully, thinking it was either calling for veterans to commit suicide (you’d have to go to a college campus to find shirts like that…) or another inflammatory message. But this message was not inflammatory.

CONCLUSION

A veteran claims she was removed from a Delta flight until she removed her anti-suicide t-shirt.  This appears to be an instance of foolishness on the part of a Delta Air Lines employee and it is now time for Delta to quickly and publicly clarify this matter.

Finally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 hours a day at 988 (in the USA) via text or voice. You can also visit 988lifeline.org. You’re not alone.

Hat Tip: The Bulkhead Seat