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Parents' outrage after their autistic daughter is kicked off flight because she made the pilot 'feel uncomfortable'
An Oregon family on their way back from Disney World was unceremoniously taken off an airplane because of their autistic daughter after the pilot refused to fly with her on board.
Dr Donna Beegle said that she is filing a discrimination lawsuit after she and her 15-year-old daughter Juliette were taken off a plane at an emergency stop in Salt Lake City as they flew on a connecting flight from Houston to Portland.
Juliette Forbes refused the food that her family had brought along, and the United Airlines economy passenger was eventually given hot food from first class after her mother argued that it was necessary to prevent a meltdown.
Dr Beegle says that the Tigard, Oregon, family, was escorted off the plane by police thirty minutes later.
'Well, the captain doesn't feel comfortable flying to Portland with your daughter on the plane,' Dr Beegle was told as she was taken off the plane Tuesday.
Juliette, who is high-functioning but has difficulty communicating, had calmed down by the time the plane made its emergency landing in Utah, according to KOIN.
Dr Beegle, who heads up an anti-poverty organization, is good at anticipating her daughter's moods and had requested the food so that her 15-year-old didn't become upset and possibly scratch someone.
She and Juliette had previously traveled all over the world to her speaking engagements before the family, including Juliette's brother and father, were all booted from the United flight.
The mother says that the captain never checked to see if the situation had improved after her daughter had food.
Juliette, who was sitting in a window seat, soon began watching a video, and other passengers said they did not feel threatened by the girl's behavior.
A YouTube video taken by a fellow passenger and given to KOIN shows a calm aircraft on the ground in Salt Lake City, with the Beegle family, including Juliette, calmly shuffling out of their seats.
'That's ridiculous,' a man on the plane says.
'That's gonna be a lawsuit,' another adds.
Her mother said that their treatment was prompted by the 'fear of autism'.
'After working to accommodate Dr. Beegle and her daughter during the flight, the crew made the best decision for the safety and comfort of all of our customers and elected to divert to Salt Lake City after the situation became disruptive,' United Airlines said in a statement about the incident.
'We rebooked the customers on a different carrier and the flight continued to Portland.'
Dr Beegle has filed claims with the Federal Aviation Authority and United, according to KATU.
She says her main aim is to bring attention to the issue of autism and to make sure that airline employees have proper training to work with passengers that have special needs.
SOURCE ARTICLE (With Images and Video): Autistic teen kicked off United Airlines flight as pilot 'felt uncomfortable' | Daily Mail Online
Parents' outrage after their autistic daughter is kicked off flight because she made the pilot 'feel uncomfortable'
- Dr Donna Beegle asked for some hot food on flight back to Portland
- Family with daughter Juliette, 15, had been to Disney World and were worried about hungry daughter disturbing others on the flight
- Teenager was calm and quiet as she and her family escorted off of plane during emergency land in Salt Lake City
- United Airlines cited 'safety and comfort' of passengers, though no one around the Oregon family felt threatened in any way
An Oregon family on their way back from Disney World was unceremoniously taken off an airplane because of their autistic daughter after the pilot refused to fly with her on board.
Dr Donna Beegle said that she is filing a discrimination lawsuit after she and her 15-year-old daughter Juliette were taken off a plane at an emergency stop in Salt Lake City as they flew on a connecting flight from Houston to Portland.
Juliette Forbes refused the food that her family had brought along, and the United Airlines economy passenger was eventually given hot food from first class after her mother argued that it was necessary to prevent a meltdown.
Dr Beegle says that the Tigard, Oregon, family, was escorted off the plane by police thirty minutes later.
'Well, the captain doesn't feel comfortable flying to Portland with your daughter on the plane,' Dr Beegle was told as she was taken off the plane Tuesday.
Juliette, who is high-functioning but has difficulty communicating, had calmed down by the time the plane made its emergency landing in Utah, according to KOIN.
Dr Beegle, who heads up an anti-poverty organization, is good at anticipating her daughter's moods and had requested the food so that her 15-year-old didn't become upset and possibly scratch someone.
She and Juliette had previously traveled all over the world to her speaking engagements before the family, including Juliette's brother and father, were all booted from the United flight.
The mother says that the captain never checked to see if the situation had improved after her daughter had food.
Juliette, who was sitting in a window seat, soon began watching a video, and other passengers said they did not feel threatened by the girl's behavior.
A YouTube video taken by a fellow passenger and given to KOIN shows a calm aircraft on the ground in Salt Lake City, with the Beegle family, including Juliette, calmly shuffling out of their seats.
'That's ridiculous,' a man on the plane says.
'That's gonna be a lawsuit,' another adds.
Her mother said that their treatment was prompted by the 'fear of autism'.
'After working to accommodate Dr. Beegle and her daughter during the flight, the crew made the best decision for the safety and comfort of all of our customers and elected to divert to Salt Lake City after the situation became disruptive,' United Airlines said in a statement about the incident.
'We rebooked the customers on a different carrier and the flight continued to Portland.'
Dr Beegle has filed claims with the Federal Aviation Authority and United, according to KATU.
She says her main aim is to bring attention to the issue of autism and to make sure that airline employees have proper training to work with passengers that have special needs.
SOURCE ARTICLE (With Images and Video): Autistic teen kicked off United Airlines flight as pilot 'felt uncomfortable' | Daily Mail Online
