Date: 202104
Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Troubleshooting; Workload
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Passenger Misconduct
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Pre-flight; In-flight
Result: General None Reported / Taken
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Preparing for departure; the Agent informed the A-Flight Attendant (FA) there would probably be an issue with a male passenger traveling with two children over the age of two with onboard mask compliance. I contacted Dispatch who patched in the Supervisor for clarification on how to handle the situation. The passenger knew the rules well enough to know his compliance was required to get the aircraft in the air; but once we were airborne; he and his children removed their masks. The A-FA called the cockpit shortly after reaching our cruise altitude to inform me that this individual and children were not complying with the onboard mask mandate issued by the Federal Government; and that this individual had become rude and hostile when reminded that he was required to comply with the federal mandate.The A-FA also reported that children were not well behaved and were disrupting the nearby passengers. The A-FA reported that while asking this individual to wear a mask and control his children; one of the children was banging his head into the tray table of the seat back in front of the child. The FA said he touched the child's arm and said; 'You can't do that'. I notified Dispatch through ACARS of the events and set up the appropriate response team to meet the aircraft. I was kept informed of the actions of the individual for the remainder of the flight. As far as I know; the individual and children were not compliant with the mask requirement for the majority of the flight. I did talk to one of the passengers who witnessed the events. The passenger said the FA acted professionally and that the individual with his children was out of control.This situation put a significant amount of the crew's attention on this passenger and his children.  I believe the event could have been prevented with better policies evolved to handle our current social environment.  Prior to departure the person was identified as a problem; but the Agent was obviously reluctant to remove him from the flight. We clearly have a mandate from the Federal Government to wear masks at the airports and on flights.  This person was NOT compliant at the airport waiting for the inbound aircraft.  He was then boarded onto the aircraft to be handled by the flight crew.




Synopsis: Air carrier Captain reported a father with two children were non-compliant with face mask policy during the flight.