BOSTON — Two Muslim women on board a JetBlue plane heading from Boston to Los Angeles were taken off the plane after the pair were found to be staring at a flight attendant in an odd manner and filming the safety briefing. The plane took off after the women were removed.

According to reports, a witness on the flight “overheard a flight attendant tell a co-worker that she didn’t like the way two Muslim women were staring back at her.” 

The aircraft was taxiing at the time of the incident and stopped.

Police officials boarded the plane and questioned the women before escorting them off.

The women were also asked to remove their hand luggage before getting off the plane for further investigation.

 “More than 35 million customers from many cultures and backgrounds travel on JetBlue without incident each year,” read a statement by JetBlue. “Our crew members’ first priority is the safe and secure operation of our flights and, as a security precaution, are asked to be aware of anyone who may be filming or taking photographs of inflight procedures or the flight deck area.”

 JetBlue added that if a crew member suspects the filming of safety procedures, they are permitted to report the incident for “review.” “In this instance, our crew members acted in accordance with security procedures. We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation, and apologize for the inconvenience,” the statement read.