Source: The Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/046/business/Airline_faces_bias_complaint+.shtml

On February 15, 2002, The Boston Globe reported "Airline faces bias complaint." It noted, "A 32-year-old Arab-American ... plans to file a discrimination complaint today that alleges American Airlines barred him from boarding a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight three months ago and publicly humiliated him because of his 'Arab name.'" The article continued, "In the complaint, Alshrafi said: 'When I explained to the state trooper that I was being denied access to American Airlines Flight 181 because of my Arab name, he said, 'So?' and looked at my name and said, `Your name is on a list, and it doesn't matter if you're an American; you have that name.'"