Family kicked off plane over fears disabled 3-year-old might take off his mask, mom says



A Colorado mother says her family was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight due to a pilot's concern that her disabled 3-year-old son might not keep his mask on during the entire flight, despite her insistence that the boy had undergone training to keep his mask on at all times.

What are the details?

Caroline Scott told "Fox & Friends" that she called Southwest ahead of their flight to alert them that her son, Orion, has sensory processing disorder — which makes him feel touch more strongly than others — but that the family had prepared to be sure he could remain masked up if any issues arose.

The Scotts wanted to make sure there wasn't any trouble on their trip to visit Orion's 94-year-old great-grandmother in Florida, KVOA-TV reported.

"He's been working really hard with his occupational therapist, with his doctors, with us as his parents," Scott told Fox co-host Ainsley Earhardt, according to dictation by The Daily Caller. "And so I'd called the airline ahead of time just to let them know that my son had sensory processing disorder and that we didn't need an exemption, he can wear his mask and he will, but that if he had any frustration or difficulties that we as his parents had the tools and skills we needed to help him to cope with that and to keep his mask on."

According to Scott, Southwest said they would make a note about the situation and that there would not be an issue. But once they arrived at their gate, the agent saw the note on Orion's ticket and flagged it. The agent told Scott, "We need to get a supervisor to approve you all to fly today."

There was a back-and-forth between Southwest employees, but the supervisor agreed to allow the family to board after Scott's assurances that she could "100% guarantee" Orion would keep his mask on.

But once they were settled into their seats on the plane, the family was booted. Scott said she heard the captain insisting from the cockpit that he "won't make any exception" and that "the rules are the rules."

When asked for comment from Fox, Southwest Airlines provided a statement saying:

"Southwest Airlines regrets any inconvenience…Southwest employees are working each day to ensure the requirements of the federal mandate with sensitivity during these challenging times."

After being kicked off their flight, the Scott family spent nearly $2,000 to fly with another airline the following day. Southwest told KVOA that they regretted the family's inconvenience, and said that customer service would be reaching out.

Ms. Scott contends, "We were deplaned not for our behaviors, but for disclosing my son's disability, which is discrimination."

A 3-year-old was abandoned along with his dog at an Ohio cemetery two days before Christmas. The community rallied.



Two days before Christmas, a 3-year-old little boy and his dog were dropped off and abandoned at a cemetery in Hinckley, Ohio. A witness who called 911 said they saw the toddler — who wasn't wearing shoes — chasing after the car apparently driven by whoever left the child and pup behind.

But once the word got out, calls, gifts, and offers of adoption poured in for the tyke, who the town's police chief described as "a pretty happy little fella" even when they first took him into protective custody.

What are the details?

The witness, who discovered the child at Hope Memorial Gardens Cemetery, stayed with the boy to keep him safe until authorities arrived. The youngster was able to relay that his name is Tony, and he knew the first names of both his parents but not his last name.

The Hinckley Police Department responded and provided the boy with a change of clothes since his clothes were wet when he arrived, and bought him some lunch. Then they posted a picture of Tony on their Facebook page, asking for help identifying him and explaining how he was found.

The community rallied. People wanted to know if they could buy presents for Tony, and others offered to adopt him outright. During an interview with local station WEWS-TV, police Chief David Centner even offered to care for the boy himself, saying, "My wife and I have already told children's services...we will welcome him into our home. We've got 14 grandkids and a big house and plenty of room and love for him."

The department informed people that they could send gifts to Tony and provided his clothing size. A day later, they posted a picture showing the presents that had been brought, and Chief Centner wrote:

"From all of us at HPD we want to thank everyone for your kindness, thoughts, prayers and overwhelming love. Our lobby is full from the gifts that have been dropped off. I reached out to my friend Santa and tomorrow morning after he has finished his deliveries he is going to stop at HPD. We are going to load the sleigh and make on final stop to see our little friend."

The Daily Mail reported that "a relative of the boy recognized the photo of him published in local media and contacted Tony's father," whom authorities have described as "very cooperative." The father called police Wednesday, and indicated that Tony's mother had custody of the child when he was abandoned, "NewsNation reported.

The father and officers also returned to where Tony was abandoned, and found the boy's dog, who was still running around the cemetery.

Investigation continues into little boy abandoned in Ohio cemetery www.youtube.com