A family who were asked to leave a Spirit Airlines flight because their two-year-old ate without a mask is demanding that the airline issue an apology.
There is a video doing the rounds on social media showing the confrontation.
The airline said the parents violated the federal mask order, which allegedly wasn't captured on camera.
The family was travelling from Florida to New Jersey.
In a conference, attorney Michael Inzelbuch, who is representing the family, said the incident is unacceptable and that there was video footage to showcase what happened.
The mother, Avital Eisenberg, claimed they were treated disrespectfully by Spirit Airlines flight attendants despite explaining that their 7-year-old son required special accommodation due to his seizures. She said the staff showed a "lack of compassion and humanity."
NEW - Family is being thrown off a @SpiritAirlines flight from Orlando to NY because their two-year-old child is eating without a mask.pic.twitter.com/dOIZrbbJt6
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) April 5, 2021
The mother said that when they boarded, one of the stewards asked why her children were not wearing masks. She explained that her son wasn't comfortable wearing a mask due to his condition.
She was handed two masks and attempted to put one of them on her son, which he refused.
Despite this, she said she would continue to try once they settle down.
The parents said the flight attendant understood why the son couldn't wear one and probed them on why her two-year-old, who was eating yoghurt at the time, wasn't wearing one.
That is when they were told to leave the plane or else the airline would deplane and call the police.
Eisenberg shared some insight: "Preparing for such a flight requires literally hours of work. I had three phones charged and all of his sensory toys prepared for the flight. My child is extremely sensory and suffers from seizures.
Getting on the plane, all I wanted to do was protect my son. I've never, ever felt the way I did on that flight. No one should ever experience it.
She said the "flight was a disaster" and affected her son negatively. She said he was "shaking in her arms".
According to USA Today, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson said the family was temporarily removed as the adults weren't following the mask mandate.
"Our team members were following the federal mask requirement and asked the adults in the party multiple times to comply with that requirement, which happened prior to videos that have been widely shared. We were pleased that they eventually complied and travelled on the flight as planned," the airline said in a statement.
The issue is ongoing.