Skateboarder Claims He Was Kicked Off Flight for His Gun-Themed Hoodie

Updated | A professional skateboarder has claimed that he was kicked off a Frontier Airlines flight because of a gun-themed logo on his sweatshirt.

The airline says he was "argumentative" and "disruptive" when he was asked to check a skateboard.

Justin Mallory, who also goes by the name Stoney Pebbles, told Newsweek that he had two skateboards with him when he went to get on a flight from Atlanta to Pheonix to attend a skating convention. There, Mallory says he was scheduled to perform with his band, take part in a skating competition, had a table for selling merchandise and was going to talk about mentoring kids through the skating community.

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According to Mallory, he was told he could not take a skateboard on the plane, even though he had already paid for extra carry-on luggage. As a professional skateboarder, Mallory says that checking skateboards with an airline is not a good idea. "It never gets there," he says, so he paid for the extra to take it with him.

After finally boarding the plane, Mallory says that a frontier employee asked to speak to him, then told him to bring his bags. As the plane took off he claimed he was still none the wiser as to why he had been removed from the flight, he told Newsweek.

Mallory says that when his manager called the airline, that's when they were told about the logo.

According to Mallory's attorney, Mawuli Davis, Mallory's manager called the airline's 1-800 number and was told that he was removed because the image on his shirt made someone uncomfortable."This is what the Frontier personel was reading directly off some monitor," Davis says.

Mallory was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the logo for his band and company, Big Black Biscuit, featuring two crossed handguns.

According to Mallory, he did not find out that Frontier claimed he was being disruptive until he saw their statement in the media. The story was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In the statement, Frontier Airlines said that according to their incident reports Mallory had been kicked off the flight "for being disruptive and not complying with crew member instructions.

"He became argumentative prior to boarding when asked to check a skateboard. It is Frontier's policy that skateboards are not permitted in the cabin. After eventually checking the item, the passenger boarded the aircraft and continued to exhibit disruptive behavior.

"Frontier Airlines takes the safety and security of our flights, and all our customers, seriously and it was determined that the passenger should not fly. We refunded the passenger's ticket to allow him to make other travel arrangements."

Mallory said that this was untrue. He also says that he was allowed to take one of his skateboards aboard the plane, something Frontier's earlier statement suggested was not allowed.

A spokesperson for Frontier said that Mallory was permitted to take one skateboard on the plane as it did not have wheels attached and was just the deck.

Davis says discrimination could have played a part in the alleged incident. Mallory was wearing what could be described as "hip-hop attire," Davis said. "It's plausible that what is described as 'being uncomfortable with him' is as a result of not only his ethnicity as an African-American man but clothing that he had on as well as the logo," Davis added.

"I don't know if he was dressed in a business suit that this would be an issue, I don't know that if a flier who is white is wearing the same shirt, if it is an issue but perhaps the combination of all of those factors have resulted in his being singled out," Davis said.

According to Davis, they are investigating the possibility of legal action.

This story has been updated after interviews with both Justin Mallory and his attorney Maluwi Davis. It was also updated with extra comment from Frontier Airlines.