Woman sues American Airlines after ‘uncontrollably drunk passenger sexually harassed her and grabbed her buttocks’ – and says employee YELLED at her when she tried to complain

A woman is suing American Airlines for failing to protect her from an “uncontrollably drunk” passenger who allegedly sexually harassed her.

Gretchen Stelter, 42, was sitting in business class aboard a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago on Oct. 29 when she chatted with the man next to her.

But she said he became increasingly drunk and she felt uncomfortable when he repeatedly touched her and tried to kiss her.

Stelter alleged that he also grabbed her buttocks while she was on her way to switch seats with a sympathetic passenger, according to a lawsuit filed May 22 in Illinois.

She has accused American Airlines of failing to take action to protect her and alleged employees have “victim-shamed and blamed” her.

Stelter was returning from Mexico after a trip with friends and was editing a book manuscript before the incident.

But the man next to her started talking to her and she decided to have a chat.

“It was pretty clear right away that he wanted to talk,” she told the newspaper Chicago Tribune. “He kept talking.”

She said they talked about normal things before he became increasingly drunk during the flight.

Stelter claimed he complimented her appearance and said he wished his girlfriend looked more like her.

But she continued to reject his advances, telling him she was “happily married.”

According to the lawsuit, two flight attendants were nearby when he “made mean, insulting and intimidating comments” to Stelter.

He allegedly told her that he was going to perform a sexual act and ‘exhaust’ and ‘f***’ her.

“To be honest, I was trapped,” she said. ‘I was in 3A. He was in 3B. The only way to get out of that chair was to somehow get help, or to clamber over him, giving him full access to parts of my body that I didn’t want him to have access to.”

She added that the man told a flight attendant that he was just “having fun” and that the employee “took no action to protect her.”

“He walked away, allowing the attacker to keep the alcohol left in his glass, as well as the bottle of vodka, which was then left in plain view on his tray,” the lawsuit alleged.

Stelter claimed the man’s behavior worsened when he tried to touch her, hold her hand and kiss her before spitting on the ground.

Her lawsuit alleges that two flight attendants witnessed the passenger’s actions but did nothing to help her despite her complaints. But they allegedly warned him not to touch the other passengers.

“I think I was a little shocked that no one helped me,” Stelter said. “I wanted to curl up in a ball and be as small as possible because I didn’t want to be touched anymore.”

She added that she went to switch seats with another passenger, who noticed her discomfort when the man allegedly grabbed her buttocks as she stepped over him to leave.

Police removed the man from the plane upon landing because he was “too intoxicated to move safely,” according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that Stetler was “punished and blamed” by gate agents after the incident.

She was reportedly told she hadn’t done enough to stop the man’s behavior and decided to file a complaint with American Airlines.

A customer relations representative called her and reportedly yelled and blamed her for the incident.

“After explaining that she had informed the US flight attendants of the attacker’s behavior and that they had taken no action, the US customer relations representative shouted at Stelter and blamed him for the incident, leaving her in tears.” , the spokesperson said. lawsuit states.

But Stelter said she received another call from someone on American Airlines’ executive team, who admitted that the other employee had not handled the situation properly.

She claimed she was told a member of the global investigation team would contact her, but this apparently did not happen.

The passenger next to her was not named in the lawsuit and it is unclear whether he will face criminal charges.

Stelter said she signed a complaint against him and has been in contact with the FBI.

DailyMail.com has contacted American Airlines for comment.