HOUSTON – Texas A&M University is facing a federal lawsuit from a McLennan County woman who claims she was racially discriminated and falsely imprisoned at an airport owned by the school, according to recent Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas records.
Fayeola Jones brought the suit on May 4, alleging she was unable to secure a rental vehicle immediately after her arrival at Easterwood Airport in College Station on May 6, 2016 because of mistreatment due to her being African American.
According to court documents, Jones is an amputee and chemotherapy patient who needed a vehicle to driver herself to and from important medical appointments. She reportedly made a reservation with Avis prior to the incident in question.
Jones explains an Avis employee refused to consummate the transaction, but instead berated her for her race and her disability.
“Despite Ms. Jones’s continued best efforts at obtaining the rental car for which she had contracted, the Avis employee refused to allow Ms. Jones to take possession of the reserved vehicle,” the original petition says. “In fact, he went on to take active measures to remove Ms. Jones from the airport premises.”
Jones further states a security guard working under the jurisdiction of the university “took active measures to detain (her) without her consent.”
The ordeal purportedly “forced (the plaintiff) to re-experience the pain she suffered because of the over 50 surgeries she has undergone,” as well as caused her to lose sleep.
Easterwood Airport Management, LLC and Avis join TAMU as co-defendants in the litigation.
Consequently, Jones seeks unspecified monetary damages and a jury trial.
She is represented by Gaines West, Terrance D. Dill, Jr. and Aaron B. Michelsohn of the law firm West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, P.C. in College Station.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas Case No. 4:18-CV-1434