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Southwest Airlines is being sued for failure to protect a minor from sexual assault on a July 4th flight from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) to Portland International Airport (PDX) back in 2022. The teen was 16 at the time and was seated away from his family and between two adult men when the alleged incident occurred.
Due to Southwest’s open seating policies the teen had to sit separate from his family. He took a middle seat between two men. One was a 50-year-old, heavy-set man who appeared intoxicated from boarding. Once the cabin lights were dimmed, the lawsuit alleges that the man touched the plaintiff’s thigh and groin area. This continued with him reaching into his waistband and trying to touch his anus. This continued throughout the flight even as the teen tried to push him away.
Upon landing, the teen reported the incident to his parents and the Portland police. An investigation was opened and the plaintiff is now pursuing a negligence claim against Southwest Airlines. The full complaint can be read here. Daniel S. Cha, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys, said:
The negligence demonstrated by Southwest Airlines in this case reflects a broader systemic failure that must be addressed to ensure the safety and well-being of all passengers, especially minors. This lawsuit underscores the urgent need for airlines to implement and enforce policies that protect passengers from sexual assault.”
In March, I wrote about a 13-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted on Delta Air Lines flight DL2954 between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) by a 52-year-old passenger. He went to trial and was sentenced to five years in federal prison, but now the family has filed a civil suit naming Delta and him for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
It’s not just inappropriate actions by passengers either. Back in September, I wrote about an American Airlines flight attendant who was being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) over a “potential criminal act” on American Airlines flight AA1441 from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). A hidden camera was allegedly found in the First Class lavatory after a young girl used the restroom. This turned out to be one of several insidious acts by this flight attendant (more here).
Anthony’s Take: I’m in no way blaming the victim here, but am questioning why he did not move and go to his parents while in flight. It’s disgusting to put anyone through a situation like this (let alone a child). Hopefully, a criminal prosecution will also find the perpetrator guilty aside from this civil suit against Southwest.
(Image Credits: Owen Lystrup and Justin Shen.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
2 comments
The child is 16. Some politicians want the voting age to be 16. This passenger is incompetent. He could have complained to his parents or the FA. If the kid was retarded, he shouldn’t have been sitting alone.
The 16 year old is suing in federal court. There are no other plaintiffs. That might be a weakness in his case being under 18 as the sole plaintiff.