US Air To Imams: See You In Court

US Airways and Minneapolis airport officials are demanding a jury trial in a civil rights lawsuit filed by a group of Muslim imams who were removed from a flight for suspicious behavior.

The airline and Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), which oversees Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, are also claiming immunity for their employees named in the suit, citing a "John Doe" law passed by Congress last year that, among other things, protects people acting in an official capacity to prevent terrorist attacks.

"We believe the police officers acted appropriately and that it is important that airports across the nation be able to take action when there is a reasonable belief that travelers could be threatened," said Patrick Hogan, MAC spokesman.

"In this case, there were travelers and flight crew members who raised concerns, and we worked with federal authorities who interviewed the imams," Mr. Hogan said. "We believe the process worked as it should to protect the traveling public."

Frederick Goetz, the imams' lawyer, declined to comment on the lawsuit, which was amended Dec. 14 and now names six airport police officers as defendants. The suit says the officials engaged in "intentional discrimination" when they removed the imams from the Minneapolis-to-Phoenix flight in November 2006.

I fully expect the airline and the airport to be exonerated in their actions and that the discovery process will truly be enlightening as to the actions taken by the six imams who planned to cause a disturbance. Witnesses noted that the six refused to take their assigned seats, acted in a suspicious manner, including requesting seat belt extensions that were not needed, and otherwise brought attention to themselves that suggested nefarious intent. The captain, acting in his official capacity, had the six removed from his flight.

The six filed suit claiming 97 specific violations of their civil rights.