Muslim passengers sue AirTran

Nine Muslim passengers removed from an AirTran Airways flight last year are suing the airline, saying AirTran intentionally discriminated against them by refusing to rebook them on a flight after the FBI cleared them for travel.   Members of the party, all but one of them U.S.-born citizens who were headed to a religious retreat in Florida, were told to leave the plane when other passengers overheard some of them talking about seat assignments and whether the safest seats were in the aircraft's rear.

 The travelers were booked on a flight from Washington to Orlando on Jan. 1, 2009.  AirTran said Thursday it would not comment on pending litigation but said the airline "denies liability and looks forward to vigorously defending ourselves in court."