A professional skateboarder is raising questions about why he was kicked off a Frontier Airlines flight.
The skateboarder, 45-year-old Justin Mallory, believes he was asked to leave the plane because of “gun themed artwork on his shirt.” Mallory was wearing a hoodie from his skateboarding brand Big Black Biscuit with an image of two handguns crossed in the middle, while en route to Skater Con in Phoenix where he planned to perform and sell merchandise.
But Denver-based Frontier Airlines says when Mallory was required to check a skateboard, he “became argumentative” and after boarding “continued to exhibit disruptive behavior,” according to Frontier spokesman Richard Oliver.
Frontier does not allow skateboards as carry-ons. Some other carriers, including Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, do allow skateboards as carry-ons.
Frontier said Mallory was removed from the March 2 flight “for being disruptive and not complying with crew member instructions.”
Mallory contacted an attorney said he wants to “bring awareness that it could possibly happen to you.”
“We are seeking an explanation as to why Mr. Mallory would be treated in this manner by Frontier Airlines,” said Mallory’s attorney Mawuli Mel Davis in a written statement. “That’s just a real misuse of their power,” he said.
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