Southwest Airlines tells mum to glue mask to toddler’s face

A mum says she was left “shaking” after a confrontation with a flight attendant over her fussy toddler struggling to keep a mask on.

A mother is speaking out after an incident involving her two-year-old child that left her “shaking” on a recent Southwest Airlines flight in the United States.

Ali Cleek was on an August 12 flight from Orlando, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia, with her husband and two children, aged 4 and 2. Her two-year-old daughter, Drew, was crying and would not keep on her mask, Ms Cleek told FOX News.

“Drew is a thumb sucker and her only way she biologically knows how to soothe herself is by sucking her thumb which is damn near impossible with a mask,” Ms Cleek posted to Instagram after the incident.

Ms Cleek said she and her husband held Drew down, trying to get her to wear her mask while two flight attendants stood over them, watching.

What happened next, Ms Cleek wrote on Instagram after the incident, had her “still shaking”.

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Ms Cleek said she was given two options. Cut a hole in the mask, she said she was told sarcastically, or “glue it to her face.” The flight attendant, Ms Cleek said, indicated she had glue available.

The mum of two said she is a “rule follower” and doesn’t want to come across as anti-mask.

“I just know that regardless if it was sarcasm or not I was embarrassed and trying to follow the mandate as much as I could,” Ms Cleek said. “My daughter is two. We were doing everything we could to comply.”

In her post, she wrote “I don’t like being this person. Wearing a mask is the federal mandate … I get it. I respect it. But at some point we have to have human decency. Compassion.”

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Drew's mum said she was 'shaking' after the confrontation with the flight attendant. Picture: @agcleek

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In a statement emailed to FOX News, Southwest Airlines said, “The federal mask mandate for travellers has been in effect since February 2, 2021 and requires all passengers over the age of two to wear a mask at all times throughout the travel journey. We (Southwest) appreciate the ongoing co-operation among our customers as we work, collectively, to follow the federal mandate and support the comfort and wellbeing of all who travel with us during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“As a note, customers are reminded of the federal mask mandate multiple times prior to travel. Southwest provides reminders during the booking process on our website; in pre-trip emails sent to customers prior to departure; and as a part of a customer’s Health Declaration Form that must be acknowledged during the check-in process on the Southwest app, Southwest.com, Southwest’s mobile website, and airport kiosks.”

Southwest Airlines has apologised to the distressed mother. Picture: Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP

Ms Cleek said she reached out to the airline and received a call from customer service with an apology. “They said they would essentially talk to the flight crew,” she said.

Beyond the apology, Ms Cleek said she hopes there’s been communication around the company about what to do in similar situations.

“I know I never want another parent to be in tears on an aeroplane because their 2-year-old won’t wear a mask. I really don’t want parents to feel like they have to hold down their child to put on a mask. I also don’t want to feel like I can’t travel with my kids by plane,” she added.

This article originally appeared on Fox News and was reproduced with permission