A woman has sued American Airlines after she was allegedly sexually harassed by a stranger in the seat next to her on a night flight.
The New Jersey woman, whose name has not been publicly released, said the incident occurred on August 26, 2022, on a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Newark Liberty International Airport.
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During the two-hour flight, the woman sat between a friend and an “unknown male passenger.”
“Shortly thereafter lift upthe flight attendant turned off the cabin lights and the plaintiff closed her eyes to sleep”says the lawsuit, filed earlier this month.
“When the plaintiff woke up, the perpetrator’s left arm was in her pants and his right hand was forcing her towards his penis.”
The man covered himself and the woman with his jacket and “digitally penetrated them,” the lawsuit states.
The woman was described as being in a “state of shock and panic.”
The man continued the attack after he managed to climb on top of her.
“The plaintiff gathered his courage and pushed the perpetrator away from him, whereupon he quickly returned to his seat,” the complaint states.
The man acted as if nothing had happened by asking the woman if she wanted some water, the lawsuit says.
She managed to wake her friend, who then flagged down a flight attendant to report the alleged assault.
The woman was assigned a different seat for the remainder of the flight, the lawsuit states.
When the plane landed, the man was escorted out and authorities took reports from the woman and other passengers who saw the attack, the lawsuit says.
According to the lawsuit, “it is not known whether the perpetrator was taken into custody and/or ever charged with sexually assaulting the plaintiff.”
“As alleged in the complaint, we look forward to seeking justice on behalf of our client to redress this terrible injustice for all that she has suffered,” her attorney Brian Andris told The Independent.
In an email, American Airlines told the outlet that they were reviewing the complaint and the details of the flight.
“The safety and comfort of our customers is American’s highest priority.”
The alleged attacker was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that American Airlines “was obligated” 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 intervene promptly when the assault occurred.”
Worrying statistics
According to FBI statistics, 96 cases were opened in 2023 alleging sexual assault during flight.
The agency said in a public warning issued earlier this year that crime was “on the rise.”
According to the warning, cases of sexual harassment on board are “strikingly similar” and typically occur when it is dark in the cabin and the victims are sitting by the window or in the middle.
Victims “reported waking up to find their seatmate’s hands in their clothing or underwear,” the warning said.
Passengers who may be under the influence of medication or have taken medication to sleep The risks of fleeing are typically exploited because the perpetrators trust that they can crime don’t want to “make a scene”.
The US Sun has asked American Airlines for comment.
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