A Marine Corps veteran with more than 20 years of service was ordered off a Delta flight after an employee deemed her t-shirt “threatening.” Catherine Banks, who was flying out of San Francisco International Airport to visit her Marine sister, was asked to leave the plane because of a message on her shirt that read, “Do Not Give In To The War Within. End Veteran Suicide.”
Banks said she was shocked when a male flight attendant told her to deplane, only learning once she was off the plane that her shirt was the issue. “I’ve served in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years,” Banks said, attempting to explain the significance of her shirt. But the employee was unswayed, replying, “I don’t care about your service.”
The t-shirt, sold by Til Valhalla Project, honors veterans and raises awareness for mental health struggles and suicide prevention. Despite its clear purpose, Banks was forced to change into a different shirt before she was allowed back on the flight. She said the experience was especially humiliating because she wasn’t wearing a bra beneath the shirt and had to change in public.
After complying, Banks was not allowed to return to her seat, which she had paid extra for, and was forced to sit in the back of the plane. The delay caused her to miss her connecting flight.
Delta Airlines has a policy allowing the removal of passengers if their attire causes “offense or annoyance,” but the airline has yet to clarify why the veteran’s shirt was considered a violation. Banks stated that Delta reached out to her on Friday to address the issue, though no official resolution has been shared.
