Social media was abuzz Monday with a video of a Spirit Airlines flight attendant rebuking a pregnant mother, her husband, and their special needs son because their 2-year-old daughter was eating a snack without a mask.
The flight attendant sternly told the Jewish couple — who were wearing face coverings — they were in “non-compliance” with mask mandates. The airline staffer said their 2-year-old needed to be wearing a mask.
“We’re done talking,” she said. “The pilot wants you off.”
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Other travelers could be heard in the background asking the flight attendant to allow the family of four to remain on the flight, vouching for the fact the couple had been wearing masks the entire time.
Several people on the Orlando flight also pointed out other babies were not wearing masks.
The couple refused to leave, at which point the flight attendant walked away after telling them she would be calling the police to come onboard.
Soon thereafter, every passenger on the Spirit Airlines flight was forced to deplane and return to the gate, where police officers were seen, according to Daily Mail.
Other footage shared on social media seemed to suggest the family was later permitted back onto the flight to Atlantic City, New Jersey.
It appears the airline replaced the crew on the flight, a decision that was met with applause from travelers waiting at the gate.
Spirit Airlines’ mask policy requires all travelers to wear face coverings, though they “may be removed only while eating, drinking, or taking medication.”
It goes onto say children “under the age of 2 years old are exempt” from the requirement, adding there “may be other limited exceptions for a guest with a disability recognized under the Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA) who meet certain criteria.”
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The little girl had, according to her father, just recently turned two. She was also eating yogurt at the time she didn’t have a mask on.
Faithwire reached out to Spirit Airlines for a comment. If a representative for the airline responds, this article will be updated to include those remarks.