Charges filed against woman forced off Southwest flight after complaining of dog allergies

Charges have been filed against a college professor who was dragged off a Southwest Airlines flight after she complained she was allergic to two dogs that were onboard.

Anila Daulatzai, who is a socio-cultural anthropologist at the Maryland Institute of Art, is facing numerous counts including disorderly conduct, according to the Los Angeles Times.

She was asked to leave the Southwest flight that was heading from Baltimore to Los Angeles on Tuesday night after she complained that she was allergic to the animals, one of them an emotional support dog and the other a pet.

She told the crew that the allergy was life-threatening and she demanded that they provide her with an EpiPen, Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said. We do not have or administer shots,” he said to the Times.

Daulatzai, who the airline described as “uncooperative,” also did not have the medical certificate necessary for her to continue on the flight.

The video of the incident begins with a blurry shot of three officers talking to the woman who was near the back of the jet.

“What are you doing?” “My dad has surgery. What are you doing?” she screams at the officers who are trying to get her to move after the captain of the flight ordered her to disembark. ‘C’mon lady, let’s go,” replies one of the officers.

She then stops and says she “needs to close her pants,” and she follows that by accusing one officer of “trying to rip her pants off.”

As they continue to pull and push her toward the exit, she declares that she will walk amid admonishments to the officers “not to touch her” and to “stop it.”

Passengers who are watching chime in, some yelling at the woman to “show them that you’re walking.” One man declares, “Jeez, lady, get off the plane!”

“They spent a long time talking to the woman, explaining what the situation was, trying to work with her,” said Bill Dumas, who taped the commotion, to CBS LA. “The pilot said they wouldn’t leave until it got resolved.”

Southwest issued a statement after the incident.

“We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the customer’s removal by local law enforcement officers. We publicly offer our apologies to this customer for her experience and we will be contacting her directly to address her concerns.”

According to the airline’s policy regarding customers with disabilities, if the company is notified at the gate that a passenger has an allergy to animals they will be seated as far away from the animal as possible. It goes on to state that the airline is required by law to transport assistance and emotional support animals and that they do not have to caged. Pets must be contained in carriers.

Besides disorderly conduct, Daulatzai was charged with failure to obey a reasonable and lawful order, disturbing the peace, obstruction of a police officer and resisting arrest, the Times reported.

Lt. Kevin Ayd of the Maryland Transportation Police told the newspaper that Daulatzai made an appearance in court and was then released on her own recognizance.

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