A California man is suing Alaska Airlines in federal court, alleging airline employees discriminated against him because of his disability and Middle Eastern heritage.
In his lawsuit filed last week in Seattle federal court, Wesam Desilva alleges Alaska Airlines employees publicly humiliated him, falsely detained him, denied him food and water during a flight, and prevented him from boarding a connecting flight in Seattle.
The lawsuit names Alaska Airlines and four unidentified employees. Desilva is representing himself.
Flight to funeral allegedly turned confrontational
Desilva said he purchased a last-minute Alaska Airlines ticket in July 2023, to travel from Detroit to Portland, Oregon, with a layover in Seattle after learning of a former teacher’s death.
He was traveling with a trained service dog that he said had accompanied him on more than 15 previous flights without incident, according to the complaint.
He alleges Alaska Airlines employee in Detroit reviewed the service animal documentation, entered the information into the airline’s system and issued a boarding pass showing the service animal designation before clearing Desilva to board. The lawsuit also alleges gate personnel acknowledged the service animal documentation before boarding.
Desilva alleges he was assigned a three-seat row by himself near the rear of the aircraft. Because he believed the floor beneath his seat was dirty, he placed his service dog on his lap and covered the adjacent seat with his jacket to prevent the dog’s hind legs from touching the upholstery, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges a male flight attendant initially thanked him for using the jacket to protect the seat and raised no concerns. About 20 minutes after takeoff, however, a female flight attendant approached and objected to the arrangement.
Passenger alleges public humiliation and retaliation
Desilva alleges he calmly explained that the dog’s hind legs rested on the jacket rather than the seat and complied when instructed to place the dog on the floor. He claims the flight attendant continued making disparaging remarks, prompting him to request a supervisor, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit alleges the flight attendant responded by shouting, kicking an aircraft bathroom door and punching an interior wall while repeatedly refusing his request to speak with a supervisor.
Desilva alleges another flight attendant later wrongly accused him of repeatedly pressing the emergency call button when passengers seated in front of him had actually activated it.
The complaint also alleges Desilva repeatedly told airline employees he believed he was being treated differently because of his race and ethnicity.
Complaint alleges food, water and connecting flight were denied
According to the lawsuit, Desilva purchased food for the flight but flight attendants intentionally skipped him during meal service while serving other passengers, leaving him without food or water for the duration of the flight despite his attempts to order.
After the aircraft landed in Seattle, Desilva alleges an Alaska Airlines supervisor refused to allow him to continue to his connecting flight, prevented him from filing a complaint and escorted him through the airport for several hours without telling him he was under arrest or free to leave.
The complaint characterizes those actions as false imprisonment.
The lawsuit alleges Desilva was rebooked on a flight the following morning and spent the night sleeping on the airport terminal floor after repeatedly asking to speak with another supervisor.
According to the complaint, a different Alaska Airlines employee the next morning confirmed his service dog could occupy an empty adjacent seat if the seat was covered, which Desilva alleges contradicted the justification given for his treatment the previous day.
Plaintiff seeks millions in damages
Desilva alleges the incident caused ongoing trauma, nightmares, anxiety about flying and emotional distress that have persisted for nearly two years.
The lawsuit seeks at least $1 million in compensatory damages, $2.5 million in punitive damages, and attorney’s fees if permitted by law.
He’s also seeking a court order requiring Alaska Airlines to adopt and enforce policies regarding disability rights, anti-discrimination training and complaint procedures.
Puget Press has reached out to Alaska Airlines for comment.
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