LOS ANGELES : Ray Charles Sues Airline, City for Racial Bias

Alleging racial discrimination in airport security checks, musician Ray Charles and his manager Friday sued American Airlines and the city of Los Angeles for $2.5 million.

The plaintiffs allege that they were forced off a red-eye flight at Los Angeles International Airport in May because overzealous security personnel insisted on searching a carry-on bag five times for weapons.

Charles’ manager, Joseph Adams, said he allowed four consecutive searches of a small black leather pouch in the American Airlines terminal. But when security officers ordered him off the New York-bound plane to present his bag for a fifth search, Adams refused. Airport police then escorted Adams and Charles out of the terminal under armed guard, according to the complaint.

The singer and his manager, who are both African American, allege in their complaint that American Airlines’ security policies “require more rigorous scrutiny of African American passengers than those of other races.” They contend that the airline “would not have inflicted the same treatment on white passengers under the same circumstances.”

American Airlines spokesman Gus Whitcomb said he had not seen the star’s lawsuit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. But he denied the allegations of racism, saying, “We treat all our passengers the same.”

Charles and Adams are seeking $250,000 apiece in compensatory damages and $1 million each in punitive damages. The suit also names the Huntleigh Corp. security firm as a defendant.