TSA responds to racial profiling charges

(NECN: Brendan Monahan, Boston, Mass.) - The federal Transportation Security Administration has confirmed the existence of an investigation of racial profiling claims following the publication of a New York Times article on allegations that officers are profiling blacks, hispanics and Muslims.

Brian Sullivan, a risk management specialist who worked for the FAA, says the allegations don't surprise him, given the scant nine hours of training that TSA officers receive before being put into service at the nation's airports.

"If you're not doing refresher training, it's a slippery slope," Sullivan said, "and you can fall from doing risked-based profiling to racial profiling."

For its part, the FAA issued the following statement: "If any of these claims prove accurate, we will take immediate and decisive action to ensure there are consequences to such activity."

The Boston NAACP is calling for a swift investigation, which the TSA is promising.