Woman sues American Airlines for sexual harassment during flight: “They didn’t stop it”

A woman from New Jersey has filed a lawsuit American Airlines for not doing enough to prevent herself from being sexually assaulted by a stranger male passenger sitting next to her on a two-hour flight in 2022. The Independent reported that the flight was 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 turned off, the woman closed her eyes to sleep. When she awoke, she found the stranger's left arm inside her pants and his right hand forcing her hand onto his penis – underneath a black puffer jacket that the stranger used to cover them both. The woman was frozen in a state of shock and panic while the stranger managed to climb onto her top. The plaintiff then managed to push the stranger away and wake up her friend, who reported the incident to a flight attendant.
The attacker went back to his seat, acted normally and even offered the woman water. The flight attendant changed her seat for the remainder of the flight. When the plane landed, the man was “escorted off the plane” while authorities took accounts from the woman and other passengers. The plaintiff in her lawsuit said it is unknown whether the perpetrator was taken into custody, charged with sexual assault or simply released.
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 American's highest priority.”
The lawsuit cites FBI data showing that there has been a sharp increase in allegations of sexual assault on board, but many of these incidents go unreported. The lawsuit says the airline had a duty 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.”