A woman claimed in a viral TikTok video she was kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight because she was wearing a crop top.
Ray Lin Howard, an Alaskan rapper with the stage name Fat Trophy Wife, told police after being escorted off the plane she was "harassed" by the airline's flight attendant.
The musician claimed the staff member said her outfit was "inappropriate" because her "stomach was showing."
The clip began with Howard exiting the aircraft with the police behind her.
The overlaying text read:
"I was escorted off the plane by police tonight, how's your night going."
@fattrophywife @Alaska Airlines Flight attendant harassed and called the airport police on me for my inappropriate outfit. #bbw #plussize #plussizeedition #bbws #fyp
Next, the video showed her setting up the camera on a table inside a room where an officer assured her there were no crimes committed and he was trying to get her side of the story
Howard said she was approached three times by the airlines' staff. She was approached the first time allegedly due to her wearing a grey crop top that exposed her stomach.
When they told her to wear a different shirt, she obliged.
"And then they approached me again, saying that I can't wear this, my stomach is showing, and it's inappropriate," said Howard.
When she was approached a third time about her outfit, she told them:
"If you're going to kick me off, kick me off."
"I've done what you've asked me to do. I want you to leave me alone."
"That's why they approached me. About my outfit," she explained to the officer. "That's why you were called."
The officer explained to her they were just getting her side of the story versus the one described by the airlines' staff.
@fattrophywife/TikTok
He also mentioned there were dress code policies in place the airline had to follow.
Howard claimed she looked up the policy and said she was "within the dress code."
"I'm being harassed and now I'm being detained," she said, in response to the officer telling her she was going to be having a discussion with the supervisor next about the dress code policy.
When the officer suggested "being detained" was not the appropriate description for the situation, Howard stressed they were the ones who physically escorted her off the flight and held her in a room to discuss what happened.
@fattrophywife/TikTok
"We're just trying to investigate to see if there were any crimes that occurred," the officer told her.
"From what I am gathering there were none, okay?"
The clip ended with her pleading with the officer to let her go because she had a show to perform.
People suggested Howard pursue legal action for what she endured.
@fattrophywife/TikTok
@fattrophywife/TikTok
@fattrophywife/TikTok
@fattrophywife/TikTok
According to the Alaska Airlines' appearance guidelines:
"The dress code on both Alaska and Horizon is casual, and the requirement is simply a neat and well-groomed appearance."
"Clothing that is soiled or tattered and bare feet are never acceptable."
"You are expected to use good judgment, but customer service agents will have the final authority to refuse travel for inappropriate attire or appearance."
People suspected bodyshaming and discrimination were possible factors involved rather than a dress code violation.
@fattrophywife/TikTok
@fattrophywife/TikTok
@fattrophywife/TikTok
@fattrophywife/TikTok
In a follow-up video, Howard said the airlines refunded her the cost for the three seats she had reserved for the flight and the company "tried to compensate me for the situation by offering me a discount code to use on a future purchase."
@fattrophywife @alaskaair y’all are hilarious #discountcode #wtf #customerservice #fyp #plussize #plussizeedition #plussizefashion #bbw #bbws #art #confused #why #no
In response to what happened, Alaska Airlines told Indy 100:
"We're in contact with the guest. We're committed to finding out what happened and taking the appropriate actions."
They added:
"It's our goal to provide caring service to all of our guests. When we don't live up to that goal, we do everything we can to make it right."
This is not the first incident in which a female customer was allegedly harassed by employees for wearing "inappropriate" clothing.
A woman who was working out at a Planet Fitness in a short-cropped shirt was told by a staff member to cover up or leave the premises.
The woman claimed the staff member told her that her shirt was too short and she had to either pull it down or pull up her leggings more while on the gym floor.
A spokesperson for Planet Fitness later apologized and explained in a statement the staff member had made a poor judgment call and "enforced a company dress code policy in error."
