A woman has claimed she was sexually assaulted by a fellow United Airlines passenger after he drank at least nine vodka orange juices.
The flight from Orlando to Denver took place last October and is now under investigation after the unnamed 51-year-old filed charges on Wednesday.
The lawsuit names the Chicago-based airline as a defendant and alleges misconduct by flight crews.
They are said to have served the man next to her 'at least nine portions of alcohol' in increasingly larger glasses just before the alleged assault – after growing tired of the first-class driver's repeated drink requests.
A total of six screwdrivers were consumed, although several were duplicate screwdrivers, the complaint said. An hour later, the unnamed man allegedly made contact with the woman before eventually fondling her breasts and crotch.
A woman has claimed she was sexually assaulted by a man on a United Airlines flight in 2022 after flight crew administered at least nine vodka orange juice drinks to him. Pictured: An unrelated United Airlines Boeing 787-9 taking off from Los Angeles International Airport on July 30, 2022
The plaintiff — a frequent flyer who had been in first class — is seeking damages of at least $75,000 “for damages she allegedly suffered as a passenger” on the United flight, the lawsuit says, naming the flight in question UA. 1520.
The plane took off from Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 2, 2022, the filing shows, before heading to its destination Denver.
One section reads: 'This action stems from a series of sexual assaults against [the plaintiff] on a United flight taking off [her] huddled in fear in her window seat for hours as the attacks continued.
“During the flight,” the message continues, “United served the passenger seated next to Ms. Doe who was blocking the path to the aisle [referred to as the ‘Assailant’]large quantities of spirits'.
It concludes: “The predictable and natural consequence of United's failure to protect its passenger is that Ms. Doe suffered an extremely traumatic series of sexual assaults, which left her with post-traumatic stress disorder and other serious injuries.”
It then maps out how the alleged abuse took place.
'[The plaintiff]51 years old, is a frequent traveler,” it begins.
“On October 2, 2022, she boarded an early afternoon flight from Orlando to Denver, flight number UAI520.
“She was sitting in the window seat IA, while the attacker was sitting next to her in the aisle seat, 1B.”
The lawsuit seeks at least $75,000 in damages and accuses flight crews of serving “at least nine” drinks worth of screwdrivers — a cocktail with a mix of vodka and orange juice — in increasingly larger glasses after they grew tired of the non-bee's screwdrivers named man. repeated requests
The story continues: 'While he was seated and before the plane took off, the attacker and [the plaintiff] each had one alcoholic drink.
'During approximately the first 30 minutes of the flight, and before the attacker became seriously intoxicated, [the plaintiff] “I had a pleasant conversation with the attacker,” it said.
But once on board, that quickly changed, the complaint alleges.
That's when the attacker, who was sitting along the aisle, started asking for “drink after drink,” specifically vodka and orange juice.
The commands, the alleged victim's lawyer wrote, came “every time the United flight attendant passed in front of the first-class cabin.”
The complaint further notes how “at one point the attacker made many requests for drinks.” [may have] left the United flight attendant frustrated.
“To avoid having to bring him drinks so often,” the unnamed female employee continues, “the attacker began serving multiple servings of alcohol at a time, what she called 'double amounts,' in larger glasses.
In total, the complaint states, the plaintiff counted “at least three standard drinks and three double drinks, for a total of at least nine servings of alcohol.”
It then adds that the true extent of alcohol consumption could still be 'possible' [be] more, given the size and strength of each cocktail.
The commands, the alleged victim's attorney wrote, came “every time the United flight attendant passed in front of the first-class cabin.”
The lawsuit goes on to describe the alleged attacker's first inappropriate contact with the plaintiff, when she got up to use the restroom less than an hour into the roughly four-hour flight.
When she did, “the attacker placed his hand on her back,” the lawsuit alleges — contact that was “non-consensual” and made the accuser “afraid to get up from her chair again for fear of being groped .
Then, about an hour later, the woman “felt something on her leg,” but realized “it was the hand of the now very drunk attacker.”
Realizing this, the traveler lifted his hand away and urged the man to “lay his hand on the ground again.” [the plaintiff’s] leg without her consent.'
The unwanted act reportedly prompted the woman to stop her alleged attack again. and again 'remove the attacker's hand.'
The report states that she posted it it was on the man's part 'to make it clear that the touching was not welcome and had to stop' – to which the man is said to have responded“I know, no means no.”
“But as explained below,” the complaint states, “he continued his series of attacks that have not been deterred.”
The lawsuit alleges that because the flight attendant was or is an employee of United, United is vicariously liable for the conduct described in the complaint.
“The attacker continued to touch the plaintiff,” the lawsuit continues, alleging the man's behavior continued and eventually escalated as the flight continued.
'At first this involved touching the side of [the plaintiff’s] leg, the top of her leg, [her] inner thigh, and finally digging his hand in [her] cross, while continually being told to stop,” the complaint states.
At another point, the accused assailant allegedly grabbed the woman's bare foot and rubbed it, the filing further alleges.
In response, the accuser “once again” told the man – who is not named as a defendant – “no” before pulling her foot away.
As the attacks intensified and continued, the plaintiff — a Colorado resident — “crouched as close to the window as possible,” the lawsuit alleges.
At one point, the attacker claims, reached under the alleged victim's scarf, began touching her back and asked for a back massage.
“She refused,” the petitioner alleges, claiming the woman “moved her elbow up” to stop the alleged attacker again.
Still, the suit says the displays “didn't work.”
The man allegedly responded by reaching 'up under' [the plaintiff’s] shirt and [touching] hair directly on her back.
She in turn responded by “jerking away” and pulling the attacker's hand from under her shirt, her lawyers claim – before going on to describe how even after all this 'the attacker would not stop tormenting his alleged victim.
' He started reaching forward [the plaintiff] to adjust the sun blinds. He did this three times, rubbing [her] boobs every time,” one section reads.
Each time, the alleged victim pushed the man's arm away, the file states.
“Finally, with about an hour left in the flight, and based on information and belief in the airspace over Colorado, the attacker reached over [the plaintiff] and placed his mouth over her mouth, attempting to kiss her,” the complaint continues.
“The attacker's face touched [the plaintiff] as she pushed him away in disgust. Then she said loudly, “You have to stop this now!”
The attacks reportedly stopped there, and when the plane finally landed in Denver, the victim reportedly waited until all other passengers in the first-class cabin had left the plane before disembarking herself, out of “fear of getting any further.” attacked if she tried to step into the aisle.”
The lawsuit further states that although the woman never sought help from flight personnel, “the flight attendants made no effort to check on her or determine whether the attacker's intoxication was causing any problems or difficulties…despite having at least served the attacker . nine servings of alcohol.
It adds that the 51-year-old was left petrified as the plane flew through Colorado to Denver International Airport, and has since suffered bouts of “significant depression, anxiety, [and] post-traumatic stress.'
Her attorneys argue that because the United flight attendant was or is a United employee, “United is vicariously liable for her conduct… because she acted within the limits and scope of her job responsibilities.”
The airline – whose slogan for decades has been “Fly the Friendly Skies” – declined to comment because of the ongoing litigation.