A New Jersey woman has sued American Airlines for not doing enough to stop her from getting sexually assaulted by a stranger male passenger who was sitting next to her in a two-hour flight in 2022. The Independent reported that the flight was going from North Carolina to Newark Liberty International Airport where the woman was seated between her friend and an unknown male passenger.
According to the lawsuit, after the cabin lights were switched off, the woman closed her eyes to sleep and when she woke up she found the strangers left arm inside her pants and his right hand forcing her hand onto his penis — under a black puffer jacket which the stranger covered both of them with.The woman was frozen in a state of shock and panic while the stranger managed to climb on her top. The complainant then managed to push the stranger and wake her friend who reported the incident to a flight attendant.
The assaulter went back to his seat and acted normal and even offered the woman water. The flight attendant switched her seat for the rest of the journey. Once the plane landed, the man was “escorted off the plane” while the authorities took reports from the woman and other passengers. The complainant in her lawsuit said it was not known whether the perpetrator was taken into custody or charged with sexual assault or just let off.
American Airlines told the Independent that they are reviewing the lawsuit. “We are reviewing the lawsuit and the details of the flight. The safety and comfort of our customers is a top priority for American.”
The lawsuit cited FBI data to show that there has been a sharp increase in onboard sexual assault allegations but many of these incidents remain unreported. The suit said the airlines owed a duty of care to ensure the woman’s safety during the flight but “breached its duty of care by failing to properly monitor the cabin, failing to prevent the sexual assault, and failing to promptly intervene when the assault occurred.”
According to the lawsuit, after the cabin lights were switched off, the woman closed her eyes to sleep and when she woke up she found the strangers left arm inside her pants and his right hand forcing her hand onto his penis — under a black puffer jacket which the stranger covered both of them with.The woman was frozen in a state of shock and panic while the stranger managed to climb on her top. The complainant then managed to push the stranger and wake her friend who reported the incident to a flight attendant.
The assaulter went back to his seat and acted normal and even offered the woman water. The flight attendant switched her seat for the rest of the journey. Once the plane landed, the man was “escorted off the plane” while the authorities took reports from the woman and other passengers. The complainant in her lawsuit said it was not known whether the perpetrator was taken into custody or charged with sexual assault or just let off.
American Airlines told the Independent that they are reviewing the lawsuit. “We are reviewing the lawsuit and the details of the flight. The safety and comfort of our customers is a top priority for American.”
The lawsuit cited FBI data to show that there has been a sharp increase in onboard sexual assault allegations but many of these incidents remain unreported. The suit said the airlines owed a duty of care to ensure the woman’s safety during the flight but “breached its duty of care by failing to properly monitor the cabin, failing to prevent the sexual assault, and failing to promptly intervene when the assault occurred.”
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