New Jersey woman claims she was sexually harassed on an American Airlines flight and blames the airline for 'failing to prevent' it

The incident

The lawsuit alleges that the woman fell asleep shortly after the plane took off and later “woke up to find the perpetrator's left arm in her pants and his right hand pressing her hand onto his penis,” according to the New York Post. During the two-hour flight, the victim sat between a friend and the “unidentified male passenger.”

The lawsuit alleges that the suspect covered himself and the victim with his black puffer jacket and “digitally penetrated” her while she slept. When the woman awoke, she was trapped “in a state of shock and panic.”

The man then climbed on top of the woman and “attempted to penetrate her with his penis, which he partially succeeded in doing,” the lawsuit states. “The plaintiff gathered his courage and pushed the offender away, after which he quickly returned to his seat,” the lawsuit states.

When the suspect noticed a flight attendant was nearby, he acted as if nothing had happened, asking the victim if she wanted water while “forcibly holding her hand,” the charges state.

The woman woke her friend and they reported the incident to a flight attendant. The woman's seat was switched for the remainder of the flight.

The man was “escorted from the aircraft” after landing. Authorities then took accounts from the victim and other witnesses to the assault, but according to the lawsuit, “it is unknown whether the perpetrator was taken into custody and/or ever charged with the sexual assault of the plaintiff.”

The lawsuit claims that airlines are “very aware” of the increasing number of sexual assaults on flights and stresses that the victim “did nothing to cause or contribute to the assault.” It goes on to say that American Airlines had a “duty of care” to ensure her safety during the trip.

“American Airlines 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,” the lawsuit states.

The woman's attorney, Brian Andris, told the New York Post on Monday, September 26, “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.”