Delta Airlines Faces Backlash For Removing Marine Vet Over Mental Health Awareness Shirt

Catherine Banks, a Marine Corps veteran with 22 years of service, was shocked and humiliated after being forced to deplane by a Delta Airlines employee at San Francisco International Airport. The reason? A t-shirt she wore promoting veteran mental health awareness was deemed “threatening” by a male flight attendant.

The t-shirt, which read, “Do Not Give In To The War Within. End Veteran Suicide,” was part of a project to raise awareness and funds for veterans struggling with mental health. Despite the positive intent of the shirt, the flight attendant insisted that Banks needed to remove it to continue her journey.

When asked to explain, Banks responded, “I’m a Marine Corps vet. I’ve been in the Marine Corps for 22 years and worked for the Air Force for 15 years.” However, the flight attendant was indifferent, telling her, “I don’t care about your service.”

Adding to Banks’ embarrassment, she wasn’t wearing a bra under her t-shirt and had to change into a sweatshirt in public. After complying, Banks was not allowed to return to her original seat, which had extra legroom that she had paid for, and was reassigned to a seat in the back of the plane. The delay caused her to miss a connecting flight.

Delta Airlines has yet to publicly comment on the situation, although they contacted Banks to address her concerns. According to Delta’s policy, passengers can be removed if their attire causes “offense or annoyance to other passengers,” though it remains unclear how the shirt violated this rule.