(WWJ) -- A Roseville woman has been charged in connection with the ethnic intimidation and assault of a 29-year-old African American Muslim woman on a Spirit Airlines flight to Detroit on the 20-year anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged 39-year-old Alexandra Lynn Farr with one count of ethnic intimidation -- a two-year high misdemeanor -- one count of assault and battery, and one count of disorderly person -- both 93-day misdemeanors.
The charges stem from an incident on a Sept. 11 flight from Atlanta to Detroit. The prosecutor’s office says while onboard the flight, Farr was “profane and disruptive when she shouted a racial slur at the female victim during a verbal confrontation.”
When the victim attempted to use her phone to record the altercation, Farr struck the victim’s hand and her phone, the prosecutor’s office said.
Detroit Metro Airport police officers responded to the scene and arrested Farr, who was eventually released without charges, pending a warrant.
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Amy Doukoure -- an attorney with the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights group -- told WWJ earlier this week the victim, identified Monday as Aicha Toure, was attempting to exit the plane when it landed in Detroit when she noticed Farr verbally abusing another woman and came to her defense.
That’s when Farr turned her tirade toward Toure -- who wears a head scarf -- and began shouting profanities and calling her a “Muslim terrorist.”
The attorney said Toure pulled out her phone to record the angered woman to protect herself, and Farr became irate that she was going to be recorded. She says the woman punched the victim with a closed fist and knocked the phone out of her hand.
“The alleged activity of this defendant was completely inappropriate and quickly elevated to criminal activity,” Worthy said in a press release. “Racist rants have become far more common lately and we will not hesitate to take action when we can do so legally.”
Far is expected to be arraigned on Friday in 34th District Court.
“The alleged actions of this individual are reprehensible and she clearly targeted religious and racial minorities for her violent words and actions,” Doukoure said. “Michigan’s Ethnic intimidation law was created to protect people like Ms. Toure from being assaulted after being called a Muslim terrorist while traveling on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It is imperative that Wayne County Prosecutor’s office take this hate crime seriously and ensure that Muslims are safe from hate and violence in all aspects of their life.”
Spirit Airlines released the following statement about the incident:
“At Spirit, we want each of our Guests to feel safe, welcome and respected. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. A passenger on one of our flights arriving in Detroit last night chose to use appalling language toward one of our Guests. That kind of language has no place on our planes -- or anywhere else — and she is no longer welcome on any of our flights.
"We thank our crew for taking control of the situation until law enforcement arrived, and we thank the Wayne County Airport Police for removing her.”
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