A New York City mother traveling with her six children was flown out of a JetBlue flight on Wednesday after her 2-year-old daughter would not wear a mask as required by the airline.
Chaya Bruck, a Brooklyn resident, documented the episode that happened on a flight from Orlando to Newark in a video posted on Facebook. It had more than 2,400 views by Thursday afternoon.
“Shame on you” JetBlue, “she wrote on Facebook,” for harassing me and stabbing me with my 6 children. ” Bruck said her 2-year-old “would not cooperate and wear a mask.”
Bruck, 39, did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
She claims in the post that the crew members of the airline were “nothing but bullies” who treated her and her family inhumanely. She also claims that the company’s written policy on the website states that “young children who are unable to wear a mask are exempt.”
JetBlue’s website states that all travelers who are at least 2 years old must wear face cover over their nose and mouth during their entire journey – including during check-in, boarding, while in flight and planning to to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Other major airlines also have mask policies.
“Masks with valves or exhalation valves are not permitted,” states Jet Blue’s policy. “Plastic face shields can be worn next to a face mask, but not in place of one.”
JetBlue advises on its website that customers with circumstances that prevent them from wearing a face to postpone travel “until this temporary requirement is no more.” The airline also requires that all crew members wear masks when boarding, on the flight and if physical distance cannot be maintained.
Bruck claims in her Facebook post that it was announced on the speaker on the plane that children who cannot wear a mask have been released.
In the nearly 3-minute video, passengers quickly approached her defense after she was asked to leave the plane.
“Do you realize she’s 2?” Bruck can be heard saying in about a minute in the video.
“I do,” responds a crew member. “And I too … It’s not something we can apologize for.”
“Should I tie her hands? What should I do?” Freget Bruck. “Should I hold her hands?”
“We need to deepen,” the crew member tells her. Bruck refuses. “No. I will not deepen. I can try my best.” She asks the crew member if it is a problem if the child has a pacifier in their mouth.
She also says she has six children and that her luggage is on the plane. “Come with us now,” said the crew member, drawing loud responses from other passengers.
“She did nothing wrong,” a male voice can be said to say in the video.
Bruck refuses to leave the plane again. “I have six children,” she says. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I swear this will be in the media,” she says. “My husband is a lawyer and I swear to you guys, this will be in the media.”
The crew member again tells Bruck that face covering is a requirement.
“OK. So I’ll apply her mask,” Bruck says.
“It’s too late,” the crew member responds, asking passengers to give voice support to Bruck again and ask him why she has to get off the plane.
A passenger may be heard telling the crew member that the JetBlue website says children are exempt from masks. The crew member says the passenger only children under 2 are exempt.
The video ends with passengers screaming in Bruck’s defense. All passengers were then told to leave the plane, but, except for Bruck and her children, they were able to board again. The flight was delayed a little less than an hour.
In a statement Thursday, Jet Blue spokesman Derek Dombrowski said crew safety and customer safety are their top priority and that the airline “has quickly introduced new safety policies and procedures throughout the entire pandemic.”
JetBlue’s policy was recently updated on August 10, “to ensure that everyone wears face masks – adults and children – to help prevent the spread of coronavirus,” Dombrowski said.
He added that the policy is consistent with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that “masks should not be worn by children under 2 years of age.”
Dombrowski said all customers receive an email before their flight describing the latest safety protocols and face coverage policies.
“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,” Dombrowski said.
Bruck told NBC New York that she hopes JetBlue will change its policy to meet children who are struggling to wear a mask.
