PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida woman is filing a $10 million lawsuit against Southwest Airlines after she claims the airline kicked her off a flight for removing her mask to drink water due to a medical condition.
CBS News reports that on Jan. 7, the woman, Medora Clay Reading, 68, tried to fly from Washington, D.C., to Palm Beach, Florida. During the flight, Reading claimed she was pulled off the flight by employees because she kept removing her mask to drink water despite their warnings.
According to CBS News, Reading said she needed the water because she had a heart condition, severe hypoglycemia, claustrophobia and fainting spells which are all triggered from wearing a mask.
The lawsuit, which was filed in New York district court, claims that after a long conversation between Reading and a flight attendant about pulling her mask up, the crew member pulled her off the flight, which left Reading "confused, shaking, crying, unable to breathe through her nose, [and] hyperventilating," the complaint states.
The Miami Herald reports that, in a statement, Southwest Airlines said it could not comment on pending litigation.
