Southwest can be sued for bumping passenger who spoke Arabic: US judge

A federal judge Thursday rejected Southwest Airlines' bid to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit by an American of Iraqi descent who was removed from a 2016 flight after another passenger heard him speak in Arabic and feared he might be a terrorist. US magistrate judge Donna Ryu said Khairuldeen Makhzoomi could try to show that "Islamophobia," coming amid a "sensitive political climate," was a factor behind his removal, and that Southwest's claim he was removed because he appeared to make threats was pretextual. Ryu said Makhzoomi could seek damages from Southwest for alleged violations of federal and California civil rights laws, but dismissed claims of negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The carrier had argued there was "at most a scintilla of evidence" suggesting racial animus. <br/>