Mom and son, 2, removed from flight when toddler refuses to wear mask

American Airlines has stated that a mask policy is the reason why the mom and her son were removed from the flight

A mother was left frustrated and disappointed after American Airlines kicked her and her baby off of a flight when the 2-year-old refused to wear a mask.

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Rachel Starr Davis took to Instagram last week to post a photo of herself and the sleeping toddler that detailed her experience.

(Credit: Rachel Starr Davis)

“I’m at a complete loss of words. The eyes of a mama-bear who just bawled her eyes out as she was forced off an airplane because her 2 year old wouldn’t keep his mask on. I tried repeatedly, begged him, bribed him, pleaded with him, did everything I could while he was screaming and crying as I tried to hold him and put the mask on, feeling my absolute lowest of lows as a mother. Before I even sat in my seat, flight attendant Terry on American Airlines flight 5595 from Charlotte, NC to Manchester, NH on September 17th, approached me and asked how old my son is, and demanded according to their policy he wear a mask,” she wrote.

She continued, “I told her this is our fourth American Airlines flight this week, and he has never been asked to wear a mask. She informed me he (my overtired two year old son) would need to comply with their company policy or we would be asked to leave the aircraft. “

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I’m at a complete loss of words. The eyes of a mama-bear who just bawled her eyes out as she was forced off an airplane because her 2 year old wouldn’t keep his mask on. I tried repeatedly, begged him, bribed him, pleaded with him, did everything I could while he was screaming and crying as I tried to hold him and put the mask on, feeling my absolute lowest of lows as a mother. Before I even sat in my seat, flight attendant Terry on American Airlines flight 5595 from Charlotte, NC to Manchester, NH on September 17th, approached me and asked how old my son is, and demanded according to their policy he wear a mask. I told her this is our fourth American Airlines flight this week, and he has never been asked to wear a mask. She informed me he (my overtired two year old son) would need to comply with their company policy or we would be asked to leave the aircraft. As I tried to put down my things and get a mask out, I heard Terry on the phone saying “yea it’s clear there is going to be a problem and we will need you to come down”. The nastiest smug look on her face. I’ll save you the rest of the horror that happened on the plane, as I continued trying to get him to wear the mask, bawling my eyes out and hyperventilating behind my own suffocating mask. Desperate to get home after the worst week. He would have been asleep before we even pushed back if they had just been humans. The pilot had the final say, Lyon wears the mask or they will escort us off the plane. Rather than get themselves any bad press by escorting a crying mom and two year old off the plane, they forced everyone to deplane, and wouldn’t let us back on the flight home. Apparently before we got off the plane everyone who left before us lit up the crew in the gate area. The Captain walking right by me as I screamed my head off in my absolute worst moment. They moved us to a flight tonight, on the same airline who’s company policy kicked us off the last flight, because my two year old son wouldn’t keep a mask securely over his nose and mouth at all times. This is the world we live in? This is not a mask debate. This is a ‘be a god damned human’ debate. I will NEVER fly AA again.

A post shared by Rachel Starr Davis (@rachelstarrdavis) on Sep 17, 2020 at 1:50pm PDT

A spokesperson for American Airlines released a statement to the Portsmouth Herald.

“Policies are enforced and approved face coverings are made available at key points throughout the customer journey,” said American Airlines spokeswoman Gianna Urgo. “We’ve reached out to the family to learn more about their recent travel experience and to address their concerns.”

American Airlines did reach out to Davis who wants a formal apology, the Portsmouth Herald reported.

Major airlines do require children two and up to wear face coverings but parents are fighting back and say it’s an unreasonable request from a child so young. In August, a mother of six asked to de-board a plane because her 2-year-old refused to comply and wear a mask. Just a few days ago a Chicago mom was kicked off her Southwest flight because her 2-year-old wouldn’t wear a mask.

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But parents are now fighting back. Moms are creating Change.org petitions asking that the Center for Disease Control change its regulations for kids and face coverings. A mother with two twins who have autism created a petition asking that children with developmental disabilities also be exempt from wearing masks. Her petition has close to 14,000 signatures.

But when passengers on Davis’ flight rallied to show solidarity for her, they were reprimanded. All of the passengers were ordered to deplane do to Davis’ child refusing to wear a mask. Taylor Cournoyer told ABC News the actions of the airline was wrong.

“It was very cold and cruel,” said Cournoyer.  “This wasn’t an issue of a grown adult not complying out of spite because they don’t agree with masks — this was a child. And it was not a bad, irresponsible mom either — she was crying and trying to keep the mask on and asking the flight attendants for help and advice on what to do.”

Once Davis and her children were off, passengers re-boarded the plane and expressed to the staff they were being unreasonable.

“I hate to talk like this but once we get going if there are any problems, if you guys give them any problems at all about the decisions that I have made we will turn the flight around and we will come back,” the pilot is alleged to have said.

Davis was able to board another flight on Thursday. She also created a Change.org petition according to ABC News and is hoping for a policy change.

She told the outlet, ”I don’t want any other mother to feel this way.”

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