A Brooklyn mother who traveled with six children from Orlando to New York was flown out of a JetBlue flight on Wednesday because her 2-year-old would not wear a face mask as required. Videos of the mother, Chaya Bruck, talking to a plane before boarding the plane, have been widely shared on social media.
A video posted on social media shows Bruck talking to a flight attendant about her daughter who is not wearing a mask. “Do you realize she’s 2?” Bruck says.
“I do, and also, it’s not something we can apologize for,” the pilot responded in the video.
“That I must bind her hands? What must I do?” Bruck asks the flight attendant in the video. The toddler sitting next to her seems to be uncomfortable by the argument.
JetBlue told CBS News that Bruck told a plane that her children would not wear a mask. The doors of the flight were still open and the aircraft followed procedure by calling a JetBlue airport supervisor to handle the situation.
Videos of the incident left fellow passengers frustrated, many of them coming to Bruck’s defense, saying the 2-year-old should be excused for not wearing the mask. JetBlue said the cabin became boisterous and a decision was made to deport the plan. The mother also verbally refused to get off the plane, according to JetBlue.
In a statement to CBS News, the airline said its mask policy was updated on August 10. It states that “all travelers 2 years and older must wear face cover over their nose and mouth throughout their entire trip, including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and deplaning.”
“Customers receive an email before describing their flight from the latest safety protocols and face coverage policies. Our crew members are ready to assist customers at the airport and on board who need support,” the statement said. “We have a flexible rebooking policy for those who are unable to meet this requirement, and customers who refuse to comply with these standards at the request of crew members will be checked for further travel accessibility on JetBlue.”
Chardette Poinsette
Mask mandates in many cities, including New York City, often include the same rules – anyone over the age of two must wear a mask in public if social distance is not possible.
Yet many felt that the 2-year-old should have apologized for not wearing her mask.
In an interview with Inside Edition, a ViacomCBS-owned company, Bruck said the incident was “extremely overwhelming and traumatic.”
The flight was delayed 53 minutes during the ordeal, JetBlue said.
Besides Bruck and her family, another party was not allowed again.
Chardette Poinsette, another Brooklyn mother who posted video of the incident, said she also flew with a 2-year-old and stood in front of Bruck because she understood what she was going through with her toddler. “I felt really bad for her,” Poinsette told CBS News via message.
Poinsette said her family was also removed from that flight and was told it was because they were not wearing masks. “But only my 2-year-old didn’t have one because he ate french fries,” she told CBS News.
“I had to book all the new flights with Spirit to get home,” she said.
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