Mother FORCED out of airline seat by two Pakistani monks refusing to sit near ANY women
A MOTHER was forced out of her seat on a United Airlines flight because two Pakistani monks refused to sit near any women.
Mary Campos was forced out of her seat by two monks who would not sit next to a woman
Mary Campos was handed a new boarding pass with a different seat number, much to her confusion, just before boarding a flight to Houston, Texas from Coto de Caza in California.
The frequent flyer, of Coto de Caza, was told she had to move because two men seated next to her had "cultural beliefs" meaning they cannot sit next to or talk to women.
Female flight staff were also not allowed to serve the men, dressed in traditional orange robes, during the flight on September 19.
I thought I lived in a culture where females were equal to men
Ms Campos, a senior consultant in the oil and gas industry, said the gate agent told her she had a new seat and said he did not know how to tell her why.
She told CBS LA: "And he said, 'The two gentlemen seated next to you have cultural beliefs that prevent them from sitting next to, talking to or communicating with females'.
"I thought I lived in a culture where females were equal to men."
Ms Campos is a frequent flyer on United Airlines
Despite protesting, she said she had no choice but to sit in her newly assigned seat.
Ms Campo said she was offered a $100 voucher when she complained but said that was "not the point".
Woman made to move on plane after religious complaint
She has now written a letter to the CEO of United Airlines and had hundreds of people backing up her shock.
In her letter, she wrote: "What if I were handicapped or transgender? What if your entire flight crew were female?
"Any belief that prevents individuals from interacting with females should not travel on commercial aircraft."
Ms Campos said the gate agent found it very awkward to tell her why she had to move
Over the past few years there have been several incidents of Haredi Jews doing the same thing
She said she got a reply from United saying they would look into the incident but has not heard from them since.
A United Airlines spokesman, told CBS Los Angeles: "We regret that Ms Campos was unhappy with the handling of the seat assignments on her flight.
"United holds our employees to the highest standards of professionalism and has zero tolerance for discrimination."
Ms Campos said she is not intending on suing the airline but insisted they apologise to every woman on the plane, including staff.
She added: "We can't discriminate against half the population for a belief from another nation."
Over the past two years several planes, especially flights between New York and Israel, sometimes via London, have been delayed after ultra-Orthodox Jewish passengers have refused to sit next to women.
One of the most well-known incidents was in September 2014 when an El Al flight - Israel's national airline - embarked on an "11-hour long nightmare" after a group of Haredi Jewish men refused to sit next to women.