US woman sues American Airlines after a man allegedly sexually harassed her during a flight; accuses airline of failing to ensure passenger safety

An American woman has sued American Airlines for failing to prevent a sexual assault she suffered during a flight at the hands of a fellow passenger. According to the woman's claim, she was sexually harassed by a stranger in mid-air during one of the airline's night flights in 2022. In her lawsuit, the woman mentioned that American Airlines bears responsibility for failing to ensure the safety and well-being of passengers on board.

Woman sues American Airlines after fellow passenger sexually harassed her

An American woman claims she was sexually harassed by a stranger on an American Airlines flight. According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the incident occurred during an American Airlines overnight flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on August 26, 2022. The woman accuses the airline of failing to prevent the attack and ensure the safety of passengers.

In the lawsuit, the woman described the horrific experience in detail. According to reports, the woman fell asleep after the plane took off. However, when she woke up, she found a stranger's arm in her pants and his other hand pressing her hand onto his penis. To conceal the assault, the perpetrator covered them both with a jacket. The woman claimed the man “digitally penetrated” her while she slept.

The man then allegedly climbed on top of the woman and attempted to “penetrate her with his penis, which he partially succeeded in doing.” The woman was then finally able to gather her courage and push the man off of her. He then quickly returned to his seat. The perpetrator allegedly noticed a flight attendant and acted as if nothing had happened. The woman then woke up her friend and reported the incident to a flight attendant on the American Airlines flight. The crew switched the woman's seat for the remainder of the flight.

Read also: Woman tells of shocking incident in which a man showed porn and groped her during a flight and how the Etihad crew helped her

Blames airline for failing to ensure the safety of its passengers

Airport authorities spoke to the victim and other witnesses to the assault. However, it is still “unknown whether the perpetrator was taken into custody or charged for the sexual assault” of the woman. With this in mind, the woman decided to sue American Airlines, as she believed the airline had a “duty of care” to ensure the passenger's safety during the trip.

An excerpt from the lawsuit states: “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.”

In response, Hindustan Times reported that an American Airlines spokesperson said they are reviewing the complaint and the details of the flight. They also mentioned that the safety and comfort of their customers is their top priority.

Read also: Woman allegedly attacked two passengers on IndiGo Pune-Delhi flight and slapped a CISF officer; thrown off the plane

The increasing number of attacks on flights is extremely worrying. We hope that airlines around the world will find a way to ensure the safety of passengers during flights.

Cover image courtesy of Pexels

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