A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that the carrier failed to prevent or stop a sexual assault she experienced at the hands of a stranger seated next to her on a flight. According to the Independent, the incident occurred on August 26, 2022, during a nighttime flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Newark Liberty International Airport. The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims that American Airlines bears responsibility for not ensuring her safety and well-being on board.

According to the lawsuit, shortly after takeoff, the woman fell asleep, only to awaken to a horrific discovery. She found the stranger’s arm inside her pants and his hand forcing hers onto his p***s. The man had covered them both with his black puffer jacket, “digitally penetrating” her while she slept. The woman was left paralysed in shock and panic upon waking.

The stranger then climbed on top of her, ”attempting to penetrate her with his p***s, which he was partially able to do,” according to the lawsuit. The woman mustered the strength to push him away, and he promptly returned to his seat, ending the assault.

Later, the attacker attempted to downplay the assault by offering the victim water while forcibly holding her hand, only stopping when he noticed a flight attendant approaching. The victim then woke her friend and reported the incident to a flight attendant, who relocated her to a different seat for the remainder of the flight.

Upon landing, the perpetrator was escorted off the plane, and authorities collected statements from the victim and witnesses. But it is ”unknown whether the Perpetrator was taken into custody and/or ever charged with the sexual assault of Plaintiff,” the lawsuit claimed.

”As alleged in the complaint, we look forward to seeking justice on behalf of our client to remedy this terrible injustice for all that she has suffered,” the woman’s attorney, Brian Andris, told The Independent.

In an email, an American Airlines spokesperson said, “We are reviewing the lawsuit and the details of the flight. The safety and comfort of our customers is a top priority for Americans.”

The lawsuit alleged that the airline industry has been aware of the alarming increase in in-flight sexual assaults, with the FBI reporting 96 related cases in the previous year alone. The suit further emphasised that the victim bore no responsibility for the assault and that American Airlines had a clear duty to ensure her safety during the flight. 

”American Airlines breached its duty of care by failing to properly monitor the cabin, failing to prevent the sexual assault, and failing to promptly intervene when the assault occurred,” the lawsuit claims.

A 34-year-old US woman has been sued for failing to pay $81,950 fine for assaulting co-passengers on an American Airlines flight in 2021, a report said.

Heather Wells was accused of kicking and spatting at the passengers on a Charlotte-bound flight that she had boarded from Texas on July 7, 2021. Heather Wells was gagged and bound with duct tape to her seat after she tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had imposed $81,950 fine on her, the highest-ever imposed by the authority for violent behavior by a passenger, the New York Times said.

FAA has now sued her for failing to pay the fine.

She ordered an alcoholic beverage and became “increasingly agitated and wanted to get out of the plane,” the complaint said.

The 34-year-old then tried to open the cabin front door while “screaming and yelling profanities.”

Heather Wells was restrained to her seat with duct tape and flex cuffs but “continued to kick and spit and attempted to bite and head-butt a flight attendant and passengers,” it said.

She continued the violent behaviour before she was sedated and removed from the plane once it landed at the Charlotte airport.

The woman is being charged fine up to $45,000 for assaulting and threatening crew members and posing “an imminent threat to the safety of the aircraft, crew and passengers,” $27,950 for attempting to open the cabin door in-flight and $9,000 for interfering with the crew member’s duties, the USA Today reported.

American Airlines has been sued by three Black men who have alleged that they were racially discriminated against when they were removed from a flight. According to CNN, Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean-Joseph and Xavier Veals, along with five other Black male passengers were ejected from Flight 832 over body odour complaint. The incident took place on January 5, 2024, and the flight was on its way from Phoenix to JFK Airport in New York, CNN further said in its report.

The complainants have claimed in the lawsuit that they were ejected “without any valid reason, based solely on their race”.

When the American Airlines staffer approached them before take-off, ordering them to get off the plane, the men complied.

“Once they reached the jet bridge, they saw that several other Black men were also being removed from the plane. In fact, it appeared to Plaintiffs that American had ordered all of the Black male passengers on Flight 832 off the plane,” according to the complaint.

They were later told about the body odour complaint but they were never personally told about it, “and in fact none of the Plaintiffs had offensive body odour,” they said in the complaint, as per CNN.

Two of the plaintiffs – Alvin Jackson, Emmanuel Jean-Joseph – spoke to NBC News and said they felt singled out for being Black.

“Being grouped and removed hits all these trigger points of things that I don’t think should happen to Black people anymore,” said Jackson, 27.

Mr Jean-Joseph said they were made to look like criminals as they walked down the aisle of the plane. “It still affects me. When I do get on a plane again, it’s going to be something that haunts me.”

In a statement, American Airlines said it was investigating the incident and that the “claims do not reflect our core values or our purpose of caring for people”.