Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Spirit Airlines Kicks Autistic 4-Year-Old Off Plane For Not Wearing Mask Because Autism Is 'Not A Disability'

Spirit Airlines Kicks Autistic 4-Year-Old Off Plane For Not Wearing Mask Because Autism Is 'Not A Disability'
THV11

A mother expressed her frustration after she and her husband were kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight because her four-year-old non-verbal autistic son was not wearing a mask.

Arkansas mom Callie Kimball said she is aware of the dangerous consequences of contracting the viral pathogen and expressed people should take proper health precautions. However, she explained it was detrimental for her son Carter to wear a mask due to his disability.


Kimball told THV 11:

"He had a medical note from his physician stating that he's exempt from wearing masks, because whenever he wears a mask he holds his breath, or he starts freaking out and he will harm himself."

She said her family had no issues traveling on Spirit Airlines until now.

They had no problem traveling to Las Vegas but encountered the issue when boarding for the flight back home, even when the husband showed the medical note to the flight crew.

Kimball said of Carter:

"He has a disability. It's protected under the [Act] and they go, 'no no no, autism's not a disability. He has to wear a mask or he has to get off the plane."'

You can watch the THV 11 news report below.

youtu.be

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person can be exempt from wearing a facial covering if they "cannot safely wear a mask because of [their] disability" under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The National Rehabilitation and Information Center also states individuals with sensory disabilities—including autism spectrum disorder—are sensitive to touch and texture and can experience sensory overload, panic attacks and severe anxiety if their nose and mouth are covered with fabric.


"So we're out all of our flights, a thousand bucks," said Kimball, adding, "we have a son who's just so distraught now that he like threw all of his airplanes down."

A teary-eyed Kimball continued:

"Kids on the spectrum, they're usually very obsessed with something. He is obsessed with airplanes. So he was sitting in his seat being quietly and looking out the window, and this lady was like 'Get off!'"
"I've never in my life—being the parent of an autistic kid is really hard and I've never in my life experienced that kind of discrimination from someone."

American Airlines offered to accommodate the family and accepted Carter's medical note, but Kimball said she still wanted a refund from the airline they had planned to board.

Spirit Airlines confirmed in a statement they refunded the family for the airfare and said:

"We sympathize with families facing additional burdens while traveling, including those dealing with medical conditions."

The spokesperson for Spirit Airlines added:

"Our existing policy does not provide for medical exemptions, regardless of diagnosis. Our team members explained this to a family traveling today, but never questioned anyone's medical status in the process."
"Starting March 19, 2021, guests with a medical disability who are traveling on or after March 22, 2021 can apply for an exemption as provided for in the federal mandate requiring masks in airports and on planes."

More from Trending

Tourists visit Rome's iconic ancient amphitheater, the Colosseum
Martin Lelievre/AFP/Getty Images

Selfie attempt ends in injury

Someone took “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” a little too seriously.

That someone is a 47-year-old American tourist who found himself impaled on the spiked fencing at the Colosseum after a failed attempt at taking a photo. The incident occurred last Friday when the tourist, who is also a resident of Taiwan, climbed onto the railing at the historic landmark’s Piazza del Colosseo before slipping and falling onto the iron spikes below.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from Megan Thee Stallion's Instagram video at the Met Gala
@theestallion/Instagram

Megan Thee Stallion Snuck Her Phone Into The Met Gala—And Bluntly Reviewed The Food

The Met Gala has a few rules in place, including themes, dress codes, and of course, their coveted "no cell phones" rule—which celebrities manage to break every year.

For the 2025 Met Gala "Tailored for You" theme, rapper Megan Thee Stallion appeared in a form-fitting Michael Kors Collection gown, long white fur throw with a train, and with her hair styled by celebrity stylist Kellon Deryck.

Keep ReadingShow less
Katy Perry
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Katy Perry

Katy Perry Reacts After AI Image of Her At The Met Gala Fools The Internet Once Again

Katy Perry didn’t attend the 2025 Met Gala, but that didn’t stop a fake photo of her from going viral—again.

An AI-generated image showed the pop star in a dramatic gown, and a parody account on X claimed she was wearing a new kind of fabric called “Lustratex,” made by Mugler. They even posted a fake sketch of the dress and said Vogue had reported on it.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Randy Rainbow and Pete Hegseth from "Incompetent" parody
@RandyRainbow/X

Randy Rainbow Hilariously Skewers Trump's 'Incompetent' Cabinet In 'Cinderella'-Inspired Parody Video

Political satirist and YouTube star Randy Rainbow is at it again, this time channeling the fairy godmother from Cinderella in a biting new musical parody video that mocks President Donald Trump's "incompetent" Cabinet officials.

Rainbow opens his latest video not with a mock interview of Trump, as is his usual style, but with Trump’s Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, and immediately presses Hegseth about his reported use of multiple Signal group chats to discuss sensitive military matters:

Keep ReadingShow less
Elizabeth Warren; Linda McMahon
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Win McNamee/Getty Images

Elizabeth Warren Rips Education Secretary's Mind-Numbing Video For 'Teacher Appreciation Week'

Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized Education Secretary Linda McMahon for paying tribute to educators during "Teacher Appreciation Week," noting the hypocrisy of McMahon's actions as she honors teachers on one hand and works to dismantle the Department of Education on the other.

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order empowering McMahon “to the maximum extent appropriate and permitted by law, take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities.”

Keep ReadingShow less