DAR AL HARB - U.S.A. - MINNESOTA: "JOHN DOES" NO LONGER NAMED IN THE 'FLYING IMAMS' LAWSUIT

Imams' bias suit drops passengers
by John Brewer

An attorney for six imams removed from a US Airways flight in November 2006 at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport said in federal court Tuesday that his clients will not sue the passengers who reported that the men were acting suspiciously.

The attorney, Frederick Goetz of Minneapolis, said the focus of the lawsuit now "is always where it has been."

"The motion was to amend the complaint to name the responsible individuals. The responsible individuals are all government officials or employees of US Airways," Goetz said. "We're simply doing what the law requires to vindicate the denial of the imams' civil rights."

The imams' suit, filed March 12, alleges the group was illegally removed from the Phoenix-bound flight "on the basis of their perceived race, religion, color, ethnicity, alienage, ancestry, and/or national origin; lied to about the reasons they were removed; unlawfully searched; and denied an attorney."

The suit targets US Airways and the airport but also listed "John Does" as defendants. Originally, the suit described "John Does" as passengers who contacted the airline to report that the imams were acting suspiciously. The suit later was amended to identify them as those who "may have made false reports" against the imams with the intent to discriminate against them.

The six men were returning from a conference in Minneapolis at the time of the incident.



Pertinent Links:

1) Imams' bias suit drops passengers