Delta removes an employee, changes its uniform policy after backlash over social media post perceived to be anti-Palestinian

A Delta Airlines jetliner is pulled out of a gate at Denver International Airport Friday, May 26, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

A Delta employee has been removed from their position with the airline’s social media channels following backlash over a post made from an official account that some perceived to be anti-Palestinian.  

In a statement shared with CNN Friday, Delta said the company “removed a mistakenly posted comment on X Wednesday because it was not in line with our values and our mission to connect the world.”

“The team member responsible for the post has been counselled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels,” the airline said in the statement. “We apologize for this error.”

On Wednesday, an account on X reposted pictures of two Delta flight attendants wearing Palestinian flag pins on their uniforms. It’s unclear what account posted the initial images.

“Since 2001 we take our shoes off in every airport because a terrorist attack in U.S. soil. Now imagine getting into a @Delta flight and seeing workers with Hamas badges in the air. What do you do?” the post read, falsely equating the Palestinian flag to the one flown by the militant group.

Screenshots show that Delta’s official account replied on Wednesday, writing, “I hear you as I’d be terrified as well, personally. Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.” That post has since been deleted, and it wasn’t clear what policy the post was referencing.

The reply sparked a swift backlash from Delta employees and leaders in Palestinian and Muslim communities.

Azka Mahmood, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations chapter in Georgia, where the airline is based, said in a statement that conflating the Palestinian national symbol to Hamas “erases the existence and legitimacy of the entirety of Palestine.” 

“The Palestinian flag represents a country and national aspirations of over seven million Palestinians,” she said. “It is clear that some groups want to delegitimize the flag of Palestine entirely, suppress any expression of the existence of Palestine, and discourage open support for Palestinian rights.” 

A Delta spokesperson said the flight attendants pictured were compliant with the company’s current uniform guidelines and the company has contacted them to offer support. Both flight attendants remain employed by the company, the spokesperson said. 

However, effective Monday, the company will only allow U.S. flag pins to be worn, Delta told CNN. The move is a departure from previous policies that allowed pins representing countries and nationalities from around the world to be displayed, according to the spokesperson.

Mahmood criticized the change to the uniform policy, noting that it “erodes (Delta employees’) freedom of expression.”

“We should be concerned that this policy change has come about in response to negative attention related to Palestine in particular. It speaks volumes that in the past flight attendants have been able to sport pins showing solidarity with Ukraine, for instance, without any issue,” she said. “Delta should stand by its employees’ right to free speech and expression rather than caving to pressure.”

On Thursday, Delta’s Flight Attendant Union posted an open letter they sent to the company’s CEO, demanding a public apology for the post.

“For decades, it has been common practice for crew members to wear pins reflecting their heritage. The strength of diversity at network airlines is celebrated as a reflection of the places and people we connect around the world,” the union said in its letter.  

“Everyone should be able to freely express their pride and support for their heritage without encountering hostility or discrimination from employers or customers.”

Following the incident, civil rights activist and American Islamic scholar Omar Suleiman — who has about eight million followers across social media platforms — urged his followers to boycott Delta.

In 2023, CAIR said it received the highest number of complaints of anti-Muslim bias in the organization’s 30-year history, CNN previously reported.

The civil rights group said nearly half of the complaints it has received occurred in the final three months of the year, after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Mahmood maintains the numbers likely “underrepresent the true extent of anti-Muslim activity in the U.S.” due to lack of knowledge on how to report incidents as well as some citizens “simply accept[ing] it as part of life in the U.S.”