Spirit Airlines passengers claim they were kicked off the plane by a male flight attendant because they were wearing crop tops

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Four passengers, including a toddler, were reportedly forced off a Spirit Airlines plane because two of the passengers were wearing crop tops.

Spirit Airlines passenger Teresa posted a series of videos on October 6 detailing her experience before being taken off the plane. In her now-viral Instagram post, Teresa claimed a “sexist” male flight attendant forced her and her friend to return to the gate because of their clothing.

“Hello friends! This is not the type of post I normally share here, but I wanted to share my story because I'm still in shock,” she wrote. “My friend and I had a terrible experience on Flight 387 from Lax to New Orleans on @spiritairlines on Friday. “We were harassed by a male flight attendant who told us to ‘cover up’ because we were wearing crop tops.”

The first video shared by Teresa showed her sitting next to her friend on the plane. Teresa wore a white spaghetti strap tank top with a green and white striped sweater across her chest. The two travelers wore their sweaters when they boarded the plane, but reportedly took them off on the plane because they were too hot.

According to Teresa, everyone “including the flight crew” agreed that her and her friend's crop tops did not “violate their dress code,” despite the male flight attendant's complaint.

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“He then continued to treat us badly and gave us no explanation as to why he wanted to kick us out,” she said of the male guard. “Other passengers joined in and tried to defend us, but ultimately a flight attendant took a stand on us and said we would either get off the flight or she would call the police.”

Before they left the plane, the supervisor allegedly promised them that she would rebook their flights. However, Teresa claimed the supervisor said there were no flights and refused to give them a refund once the women got off the plane.

In the videos on the plane, Spirit Airlines employees could be heard asking passengers to stop recording the interaction.

Teresa and her friend were reportedly joined by a mother and her toddler as they exited the plane. According to Teresa's report, the mother and her child were “kicked out” with them, but she did not explain why.

“You’re going to remove us from the plane? Even my baby?” In Teresa's second video, the mother could be heard asking Spirit Airlines employees.

“This is an appalling service that we are being kicked off a plane in 2024 because ONE MALE flight attendant doesn't like our shirts,” Teresa's Instagram caption continued. “Everyone working at the airport agreed that this was an act of prejudice, discrimination and misogyny and that we should take legal action.

“We spoke to the police who said the same thing. Because of a sexist and rude flight attendant, we were denied their full names, refunds, flight changes, or anything similar.”

Teresa also claimed that she had to spend $1,000 to rebook another flight on a different airline.

The following videos posted to Teresa's Instagram showed a compilation of different passenger perspectives on the plane. One woman claimed that the male flight attendant threatened to stop the plane if Teresa didn't put her shirt back on.

“There's another woman sitting next to her with a small child, she, the small child, looks like she's not yet three years old, and she's also being taken off the plane,” the woman said, turning the camera around Mom in a gray tank top to show off.

Teresa ended her Instagram post with a series of screenshots that included messages from supposed passengers who were on the plane with her. Both messages seemed to indicate that every passenger felt it was inappropriate for the male flight attendant to force them off the plane.

In a statement sent to The IndependentA Spirit Airlines representative said: “Our contract of carriage, a document that all guests agree to when making a reservation with us, sets out certain dress standards for all guests traveling with us. We are investigating the matter and are in touch with guests regarding their experiences.”

The contract of carriage posted on Spirit Airlines' website states that any passenger may be forced to leave the aircraft if they are “inadequately dressed or their clothing is of an indecent, obscene or indecent nature.”

The Independent asked Teresa for comment.