Frontier Airlines accused of anti-Semitism after kicking Jewish passengers off a flight for allegedly refusing to wear masks

• A Frontier Airlines flight was canceled on Sunday because, according to the airline, 12 passengers refused to wear masks.
• Others on the flight said that wasn't true and that the passengers were targeted because they were Orthodox Jews.
• Some passengers alleged the flight's crew high-fived when the Orthodox passengers were forcibly removed.

Frontier Airlines says it canceled a flight on Sunday after 12 Orthodox Jewish passengers refused to wear masks on board, but other passengers and Jewish rights groups say the airline was motivated by anti-Semitism.

The flight was from Miami to LaGuardia airport in New York,

Frontier Airlines spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz told The New York Times in a statement that the flight was canceled after "a large group of passengers repeatedly refused to comply with the US government's federal mask mandate."

"Multiple people, including several adults, were asked repeatedly to wear their masks and refused to do so," she said."Based on the continued refusal to comply with the federal mask mandate, refusal to disembark the aircraft and aggression towards the flight crew, local law enforcement was engaged. The flight was ultimately canceled."

But several passengers on the plane say that the Orthodox passengers were following protocol and wearing masks.

Martin Joseph, an Orthodox Jew, was traveling with a group of 21 family members - 12 of whom were initially told to leave the flight because of mask-noncompliance. Joseph, along with several others on the flight, said all of the adults in the group were wearing masks, and only a 15-month old baby was maskless.

"We're law-abiding citizens, law-abiding people," he told The Times. "We have small children. We understand that the mask has to be worn, and everybody has to wear a mask and that's the law. We comply one million percent."

Frontier Airlines' coronavirus guidelines require that all travelers over the age of two wear a "snug" face covering over their nose and mouths "throughout the Frontier travel experience including at ticket counters, gate areas, baggage claim, and onboard all flights."

Yossi Gestetner, the executive director of Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council, also disputed Frontier's account.

"Frontier wants the public to believe that six parents with half a dozen young children in tow decided on an evening flight home to ditch their masks and cause a delay," he said in a statement to Insider. 'The parents supposedly decided to drop their masks once seated after having walked into the airport and onto the airplane with masks and being seen on video with masks leaving the airplane. Such an accusation defies logic, and is disputed on the record by multiple people."

Gestetner also questioned Frontier's claim that authorities had to be called in because the dozen or so passengers refused to disembark. "Video of the 12 people shows that they gather to leave in an orderly fashion. The airline's claim is, therefore, a demonstrable lie and as such raises questions about the airline's mask allegation."

OJPAC posted several videos to its Twitter account that allegedly feature interviews with fellow passengers aboard the flight, all of whom claim Frontier staff "high-fived" and said "we did it" as the group of Orthodox Jews was leaving the plane. Insider has been unable to independently verify those accounts.

While no videos of the alleged confrontation between passengers and staff have surfaced yet, several videos taken by fellow passengers show the group of Orthodox Jews leaving the plane.

In the background of one video, which was shared via OJPAC's Twitter, a man can be heard saying, "You're gonna pay the consequences. This is going to go all over the news."

Another man says, "This is Nazi Germany!" as the video continues.

New York State Senator Simcha Felder, who represents a largely Orthodox Jewish area of New York, called on Sen. Chuck Schumer to conduct an investigation into the incident "to ensure the rights and safety of ALL passengers."

"This video is extremely upsetting and its proximity to recent similar incidents signals an alarming and disturbing trend," he tweeted.

The Anti-Defamation League also formally called for a "full and transparent investigation" into the incident.

Following the flight's cancellation, all passengers were rebooked on flights with other carriers.

Insider has reached out to Frontier Airlines for comment.