Unidentified NFL player suing United Airlines over alleged sexual assault

A football player alleges he was repeatedly harassed by a woman on a cross-country flight and nothing was done to stop it until after repeated complaints

Stephanie Guerilus

May 20, 2020

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The friendly skies have gotten a bit more turbulent as an unidentified NFL player filed a lawsuit against United Airlines alleging the company failed to properly respond to his reporting of sexual assault and harassment.

Bleacher Report’s Master Tesfatsion reported Wednesday that the player, only identified as an African American and John Doe1, made the claims in regard to a February 10 flight from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey.

Another unidentified NFL player who is also Black, John Doe2, is also part of the filing as he reported what was happening but nothing was done. They both allege that they made four complaints about a “middle-aged Caucasian female” passenger in their row making “unwanted sexual advances” but corrective action was minimal.

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

The unidentified woman is accused of ripping off John Doe1’s protective mask and grabbed his penis during the red-eye flight. The woman allegedly told the player that he appeared “frightening” wearing the mask which was worn as a precaution to protect himself from the coronavirus.

She was ultimately moved by flight attendants after the fourth complaint. The two men are now seeking compensatory and punitive damages due to the airline’s failure to “properly respond.” It’s also alleged that the woman may have been intoxicated at the time of the incident.

“Our wish would be that in the future no passengers’ multiple warnings and complaints to flight attendants, the onboard authority figures, will go unheeded until it’s too late and the damage has been done,” wrote Darwish and Azizian Law Firms in their joint statement about the lawsuit. “United has an obligation to keep its passengers safe.”

The statement also said that United Airlines must not be held accountable for not being proactive.

“This matter is about accountability; not just from United but the assailant as well,” the statement continued. “Those with a duty to others should be held accountable for their failures to uphold their responsibilities.”

The lawsuit is also intended to shed light on how men are also the victims of unwanted sexual advances and that their personal boundaries should be respected.

“Our goal is to shine a light on how assaults can, and are, being made on men, and not just women,” part of the statement read. “This is significant because assault is assault, regardless of the gender, race, and physical attributes of the victim.”

United Airlines has not yet responded to the claims made by the anonymous player.

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