A woman claims she was raped during a flight from Phoenix to New York in June 2017, and she’s now suing American Airlines.
According to the Daily Mail, 32-year-old Aubrey Lane says a drunk passenger followed her into an airplane bathroom during an overnight flight and raped her.
She told Daily Mail that she alerted staff members who then moved her to another seat. She went to the hospital after they landed, the lawsuit claims, according to Daily Mail.
Her attacker was reportedly not arrested and she still does not know his identity.
She also said the man appeared to be drunk and that crew members continued to serve him drinks. The man had reportedly acted inappropriately with another female passenger.
The Daily Mail says Lane was offered a $5,000 payout after her “nuisance” claim, but she filed a lawsuit this week.
“An American Airlines spokesman said that the company is yet to receive her lawsuit, but will 'thoroughly review it' when they do,” the Daily Mail reports. A spokesperson told Daily Mail they are “deeply troubled” by the allegations.
ABC15 reached out to American Airlines about the incident. They provided the following statement:
"We will thoroughly review Ms. Lane's lawsuit once we receive it. We want all of our customers to have a safe, positive travel experience with us and we are deeply troubled by any allegation of misconduct onboard our aircraft or at any of our facilities. If our crews discover or are told about any alleged illegal misconduct that may occur on the aircraft, law enforcement is contacted and will meet the aircraft upon arrival. In all cases of misconduct between two passengers, we will immediately separate them, and request law enforcement meet the aircraft, which is our standard protocol. It is up to law enforcement to determine what, if any criminal activity, took place"
Read more about the incident here.
If you or someone you know has experienced a sexual assault, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. To learn more about resources available, click here.
