A Houston doctor has accused an American Airlines crew of ordering her to cover up her summer romper — or risk being kicked off her flight along with her 8-year-old son on their way back from a vacation in Jamaica.
Dr. Tisha Rowe, a founder of a telemedicine service, complained on social media on June 30 that flight attendants in Kingston told her that she couldn’t board the Miami-bound plane without covering up.
“So #AmericanAirlines just told me I couldn’t board the flight without putting a jacket over my ASSETS. My shorts covered EVERYTHING but apparently was too distracting to enter the plane,” she said in a tweet.
“When defending my outfit I was threatened with not getting back on the flight unless I walked down the aisle wrapped in a blanket,” added Rowe, who said she felt “humiliated” by what she termed the racist and misogynistic ordeal.
The family medicine specialist — who also posted a photo of the outfit in question — said she was targeted because her curvy body didn’t “fit the mold.”
“As a physician i know the negative impact of #racism on health and i am speaking up because i hope no one else has endure what i did because they don’t fit the mold,” she added.
Rowe said there was nothing inappropriate about what she was wearing, adding that she even double-checked herself in a bathroom mirror right before she boarded the flight.
“I turned, and I looked at my backside, and I kind of gave myself that, you know, girl check,” she told Business Insider.
Tisha RoweTisha Rowe“Growing up, I lived in a very conservative household. Like, if my dad thought my shorts were too short, I was not leaving the house. So that’s just something that I’ve gotten into the habit of doing,” she told the news outlet.
Rowe complained about what she described as a double standard for women’s attire, depending on their body shape and race.
“I have a very curvaceous body, and I put my body in bold colors, so you’re going to see it. But it’s not vulgar. It’s not inappropriate. It’s not bad, you know? If you put someone who’s a size 2 in the exact same outfit next to me, no one would be bothered,” she told Business Insider.
Rowe said a flight attendant directed her off the plane to the jetway.
“There was no explanation why I was called off the plane,” she said. “And all she said was, ‘Do you have a jacket?'”
The flight attendant explained that the crew found her outfit inappropriate, and that she wouldn’t be allowed back on board unless she changed or covered up.
“At this point, I’m not screaming or angry or anything, but I’m defending myself. I’m fine with my outfit, like, what’s the issue?” she said.
Rowe said her son was embarrassed by the incident and was fighting back tears.
“My automatic mommy protective mode started. I’m like, ‘How do I fix it?’ I don’t want to be in this situation. I just, I want this done,” she added.
She didn’t have a jacket or other clothing she could easily change into, so the flight attendant gave her a blanket and told her she had to use it before being allowed to fly.
“It just felt like a mean-girls standoff in the hallway at high school because that’s the only way you’re getting on at this point, as if I’m not a paying customer. I just was embarrassed,” Rowe said.
American Airlines’ contract of carriage, which passengers agree to when they buy tickets, mentions appropriate attire but doesn’t provide any details or examples.
It only says: “Dress appropriately; bare feet or offensive clothing aren’t allowed.”
Rowe said that when the flight landed, she encountered another female passenger who was wearing shorts that were even shorter than hers but who had not been approached by the crew.
“The difference between that woman and me is she was about a size 2, thin,” Rowe told the Washington Post. “It’s hard to understand if you are not a double minority, a woman and a black, how it’s not pulling a card.”
Airline rep Shannon Gilson said the company is taking Rowe’s complaint seriously and is investigating why she was forced to cover up.
“We were concerned about Dr. Rowe’s comments, and reached out to her and our team at the Kingston airport to gather more information about what occurred. Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to reach Dr. Rowe or leave a message at the number provided,” she said in a statement.
“We want to personally apologize to Dr. Rowe and her son for their experience, and have fully refunded their travel. We are proud to serve customers of all backgrounds and are committed to providing a positive, safe travel experience for everyone who flies with us.”
Rowe said the airline has called her but that she has made it clear that she wants to discuss the incident only in writing, via email, to avoid reliving the experience over the phone.
She told the Washington Post that she hasn’t received any notification of a refund or any funds sent to her account.
Rowe’s attorney, Geoffrey Berg of the Houston law firm Berg Plummer Johnson & Raval, said an airline rep told him that the company does not want to be portrayed “in this way.”
“In the face of a sexist, racist attack on one of their passengers, this is the corporate version of thoughts and prayers,” Berg told the Washington Post. “The best way to not be portrayed this way is to not behave this way.”



