Lawsuit accuses American Airlines employee of recording teen in airplane bathroom
The family of a North Carolina teenager has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging that a flight attendant taped an iPhone to an airplane toilet in order to record her using the restroom during a September flight.
According to lawyers representing the 14-year-old and her parents, American Airlines should have known that the flight attendant in question was a danger. They claim that the failure of other crew members to confiscate the employee’s phone allowed him to destroy evidence. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. district court in North Carolina, names Fort Worth-based American Airlines and the unidentified flight attendant as defendants.
American Airlines has said that the flight attendant was immediately withheld from service following the alleged incident and has not worked since. They have assured that they are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, citing safety and security as their highest priorities.
The incident in question reportedly occurred during a September 2 flight from Charlotte to Boston. The girl said that the flight attendant directed her to use a bathroom in the first-class cabin, but entered the bathroom before her, claiming he needed to wash his hands. After she used the toilet, she noticed an iPhone hidden by airline tape reading “Remove from service” with the camera flash glowing. According to the lawsuit, the girl was “shocked and scared” upon realizing that someone had put the phone there to film her using the toilet.
Lawyers for the family have suggested that the flight attendant removed the phone and erased images of the girl before letting her father see his iPhone photos. The family claims that despite their suspicions, the FBI did not arrest the man after not finding any incriminating images on his phone. The 14-year-old is currently undergoing therapy for trauma.
The family’s lawyers have stated that they do not know the flight attendant’s name, where he lives, or whether he still works for American Airlines, and the 14-year-old and her family are not identified in the lawsuit. The Associated Press does not name victims of sexual assault or abuse unless they come forward publicly.