Another airline is under fire after a passenger claimed that he was kicked off of a Delta flight for simply getting up to use the bathroom.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Kima Hamilton, 39, was on Delta Airlines Flight 2035 on April 18, set to fly from Atlanta to Milwaukee, when he urgently had to use the bathroom. The flight had been delayed for around 30 minutes when Hamilton asked a flight attendant if he could quickly use the restroom. He was refused and told to stay seated.

As the flight delay continued, Hamilton couldn’t wait any longer. He said he quickly used the restroom and returned to his seat. As he was buckling his seat belt, the pilot announced that they were returning to the gate to remove a passenger.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m sorry for the inconvenience but we have to return to the gate and remove a passenger.”

Krista Rosolino, a passenger sitting across from Hamilton on the plane, recorded what happened next. A flight official approached Hamilton and told him he needed to get off the plane. Hamilton asked what he did wrong, but the flight official refused to answer him. He told Hamilton to exit the plane and they would give him an explanation once outside.

“We’ll discuss this outside, not here. Come with me please. We’re not going to discuss this here,” the flight official said.

Hamilton explained to the official that he couldn’t hold it any longer, and had to use the restroom immediately.

“I’m not really clear… I purchased this ticket, I had an emergency and needed to pee, I tried to hold it the first time and I absolutely couldn’t, and now I’m being kicked off the plane? I haven’t done anything hostile.”

The first official left, but within a few minutes, another flight official approached Hamilton and asked him again to leave the plane. Hamilton explained that 94 kids were waiting for him in Milwaukee, where he was scheduled to help out on a field trip. The flight official seemed understanding. He kneeled down in front of Hamilton and smiled, but explained that a safety rule was broken.

“Let me just explain, basically any time we are about to take off – for your safety, and for everyone’s safety – we need you seated, that’s the bottom line. I understand you had an emergency and I’m glad you were able to take care of that, however, there’s always protocol.”

The official explained that they wouldn’t physically pull Hamilton off of the plane, but instead, request that he leave on his own accord and go to Delta’s front desk. Hamilton, however, insisted on a clear explanation first.

“I’m trying to be 100 per cent, I’m saying because we had to move the plane out of rotation and we need to head back to the gate, we need to see what the reason is… more people are involved than just us right now,” the flight official said.

Hamilton eventually left the plane, but not before apologizing to the passenger beside him. The passenger told Hamilton that he had no need to apologize since he “did nothing wrong.”

Later, Rosolino wrote an open letter to Delta, expressing her outrage over what transpired. She explained that everyone had to get off of the plane and were allowed to reboard without Hamilton.

“Here are the options as I see it: 1) Urinate in his seat. This would be unpleasant for him, everyone around him, and the airline staff member who has to clean it up. 2) Urinate in a vomit bag or some type of device he could have possibly found. Again, same issue with being uncomfortable for him, those around him, and anyone cleaning up later,” the letter read in part.

“Or 3) Do what he did—wait as long as humanly (remember, we are humans?) possible, and then go to the bathroom as quickly as possible. Yes, he may have broken the rules… however, the situation was resolved in the 1 minute he was out of his seat. I don’t believe the plane moved an inch during that time.”

Delta responded with a statement on Wednesday.

“Our flight crews are extensively trained to ensure the safety and security of all customers. It is imperative that passengers comply with crew instructions during all phases of flight, especially at the critical points of takeoff and landing.”