An unidentified NFL player has filed suit against United Airlines, alleging he was sexually harassed, assaulted and violated by a female passenger on a Feb. 10 flight from Los Angeles to Newark, NJ.
The civil suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Monday, seeks unspecified statutory and punitive damages from the airline. The player — and another male passenger — state the airline failed to properly respond to complaints, according to Bleacher Report.
Breaking: A NFL player is suing @United Airlines, alleging that he was sexually assaulted & harassed multiple times by a woman on a recent flight. The lawsuit states United Airlines failed to properly respond during the flight, and failed to cooperate with authorities. pic.twitter.com/oS4DJZlc7V
— Master (@MasterTes) May 20, 2020
Bleacher Report’s Master Tesfatsion reported the player, who’s listed in the complaint as John Doe 1, filed the suit in coordination with another male passenger (John Doe 2). They allege four complaints were made against a female passenger sitting in the same row for “unwanted sexual advances” before flight attendants moved her.
The NFL player does not wish to release his identity. He filed the lawsuit under “John Doe 1” with another man "John Doe 2" sitting in his row with similar claims.
Both men are described as African American males. The woman is described as a middle-aged Caucasian female.
— Master (@MasterTes) May 20, 2020
The men are suing United, the lawsuit says, because the airline refused to give them the name of the woman, the flight attendants, and potential witnesses and because the airline failed to follow policies to respond to sexual harassment and assault on the 10 flight.
The lawsuit alleges that United’s failure to have or enforce adequate policies and procedures for the prevention of and response to in-flight sexual assaults is a breach of its duty to protect and care for its passengers.
The unidentified NFL player and “John Doe 2” are seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
A statement I received from attorneys Darren Darwish and Benji Azizian: pic.twitter.com/5LxX2BblLr
— Master (@MasterTes) May 20, 2020