Mom, Six Children Deplaned Because 2-Year-Old Refused To Wear A Mask

A New York mom was removed from a JetBlue aircraft Wednesday along with her six children because her 2-year-old wouldn’t wear a mask as per the airline's mandate to check the spread of the coronavirus.

The airline asked all passengers to get out of the plane when many of them argued in favour of the family. All of them, except, Bruck and her children, were allowed to resume their journey after an hour, NBC News reported.

Chaya Bruck, a Brooklyn resident, was aboard a flight from Orlando to Newark when she said the in-flight crew harassed her. Bruck documented the incident in a video which she later posted on Facebook.

“Shame on you” JetBlue,” she wrote, "for harassing me and kicking me off with my 6 children." Bruck said her 2-year-old "would not cooperate and wear a mask." The post racked up more than 2,400 views by early Thursday afternoon. Bruck later deleted the post.

Bruck reasoned in the post that the company’s written policy posted on its website state that "young children who are unable to wear a mask are exempt." She said that the airline’s in-flight crews were "nothing but bullies" who treated her and her family inhumanely.

JetBlue's website states that travelers of aged 2 or more must wear a face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their journey, including check-in, boarding, deplaning, and while in-flight to curb the spread of the coronavirus. JetBlue, in fact, was the first airline to announce that all passengers were required to wear a face-covering on flights, and other major airlines followed suit.

"Masks with vents or exhalation valves are not permitted," according to the Jet Blue policy. "Plastic face shields may be worn in addition to a face covering but not in place of one."

The airline advised the passengers with conditions that bar them from wearing masks to postpone travel "until this temporary requirement is no longer in place." The policy is also extended to all the crew members who are required wearing masks while boarding, in-flight, and in case physical distancing can’t be maintained.

In the nearly 3-minute-long video recorded by Bruck, passengers were seen rushing to her defense after she was asked to leave the plane. The video ends with a passenger yelling in support of Brucks.

According to the publication, a verbal duel ensued between Bruck and a crew member with the former repeatedly refusing to leave the plane, saying she had six children with her.

A spokesman for JetBlue, Derek Dombrowski, said in a statement Thursday that safety of crew members and customers is its first priority, claiming that JetBlue's policy was updated most recently on Aug. 10 "to ensure everyone is wearing a face covering — adults and children alike." However, JetBlue's advisory still states children below two years are exempt from wearing a mask.