An assistant professor at Oregon Health and Sciences University was in his seat waiting to takeoff, when an Alaska Airlines employee boarded the plane and asked him to leave yesterday.

The professor, who is originally from Greece, was told another passenger alerted a flight attendant that he looked "uncomfortable" and was "acting nervous."

The pilot, whom Alaska Airlines will not name, wanted the man to go through security again before boarding a later flight.

A spokesperson for the airline says federal aviation law gives pilots the final say on who boards planes.

We are all foreigners, with accents, and lets face it, most of us Greeks are fairly dark and easy to be confused with a middle eastern.