Thelife- A woman is suing United Airlines, alleging flight attendants over-serving led to her sexual abuse.
- The 51-year-old says she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by the man seated next to her.
A woman is suing United Airlines, alleging that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a man seated next to her as flight attendants served him at least six screwdrivers.
The woman — a 51-year-old frequent traveler — said she was flying first-class from Orlando, Florida, to Denver, Colorado, in October 2022 when she was seated by the window. A man she did not know sat beside her.
At the beginning of the flight, both of them ordered one alcoholic beverage and had a conversation she described in the lawsuit as "pleasant."
That quickly changed, according to the lawsuit.
The man continued to order vodka and orange juices, so many that the flight attendant began serving "doubles" in larger glasses so she didn't have to return as frequently, according to the complaint, filed by Colorado-based attorney Daniel Williams.
About an hour into the flight, the woman — only identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe — got up to use the restroom, and he put her hand on her back, the lawsuit alleges.
After that, he became more aggressive, Williams wrote.
The man touched her leg several times, with her removing his hand each time, she said.
The man said, "I know, no means no," but was not deterred, according to the complaint.
"The Assailant would not stop touching Ms. Doe. His wrongful touching continued and escalated as the flight continued," the complaint says. "This initially included touching the side of Ms. Doe's leg, the top of her leg, Ms. Doe's inner thigh, and finally digging his hand into Ms. Doe's crotch, all the while being told to stop."
The man continued his unwanted advances, touching her back and attempting to rub her foot, according to the complaint.
"Finally, with about an hour left in the flight, and on information and belief in airspace over Colorado, the Assailant reached over Ms. Doe and put his mouth over her mouth, attempting to kiss her," the complaint said.
"The Assailant's face touched Ms. Doe as she pushed him away in disgust. She then loudly stated: 'You need to stop this now!'" Williams wrote.
Despite serving the man at least nine servings of alcohol, flight attendants never checked in on the woman to make sure she was OK, the complaint alleges.
United Airlines declined to comment on the matter, noting the ongoing litigation.
Williams, Doe's lawyer didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from his client.
After returning home, the woman called United Airlines and explained the situation, according to the complaint.
The airline then refunded her ticket price "and acknowledged that it is not acceptable for a flight attendant to serve so much alcohol to a passenger," according to the complaint.
"On information and belief, United personnel routinely continue serving alcohol to intoxicated first-class patrons so as to promote a 'you're the boss' customer experience for those patrons," Williams wrote in the complaint.
The airline knows that overserving alcohol leads to sexual assault on planes, Doe's complaint alleges.
Since that flight, the woman has experienced anxiety and PTSD, and is afraid of intimacy, according to the lawsuit.
The woman said she now rarely socializes outside of visits to the home of a female friend.
"The sexual assault Ms. Doe suffered has likewise caused severe psychological trauma, greatly impacting her life," the complaint says.