Southwest Airlines removes autistic 3-year-old over face mask.
Southwest Airlines reportedly removed a mother, her 1-year-old daughter and her 3-year-old son from a Monday flight after the autistic boy refused to wear a face mask.
Alyssa Sadler was flying home with her family from Midland, Texas to Houston.
The plane initially left the gate but a crew member said the plane would have to return when the boy wouldn’t keep his mask on.
“It was just not a good morning,” said Sadler. “He was screaming. He was throwing a fit. He was screaming no, no, no.”
She explains her son has a sensory processing disorder and doesn’t like his face touched.
Despite showing flight attendants a note from the boy’s doctor about his condition, the decision to kick the family off remained.
In an email to USA TODAY, Southwest spokesperson Dan Landson said: “We communicate this policy to all customers at multiple touchpoints throughout the travel journey, so we regret any inconvenience this family experienced.
“If a customer is unable to wear a face covering for any reason, Southwest regrets that we are unable to transport the individual.”
Southwest Airlines has a strict mask policy that requires all passengers 2 and older to wear a mask or face covering for the duration of the flight.
Sadler believes there should be exceptions in place for children or even adults with disabilities who can’t wear a mask.
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