A lawsuit filed last month claims that an American Airlines flight attendant was dismissive of a woman’s distress over a fellow passenger engaging in a lewd sexual act.
Serial entrepreneur and CEO Neel Elsherif filed her complaint March 21 against the airline in the Eastern District of New York of the U.S. District Court. The alleged incident happened in May 2024 while Elsherif flew in American Airlines’ premium economy from New York City to Milan. Her lawsuit claims that during the flight, an “intoxicated, caucasian male passenger seated next to her brazenly masturbated for approximately 60 minutes during the flight.” According to PEOPLE, the filing refers to the man as “John Doe.”
After the crew dimmed the lights, the man allegedly started the behavior while drinking several glasses of champagne.
“Before [Elsherif] fell asleep, she noticed John Doe was holding his groin and rubbing his genitals over his pants. When this rubbing did not stop, but instead intensified, [Elsherif] realized that John Doe was masturbating next to her,” reportedly detailed the filing. “Stunned, Plaintiff froze in her seat and began to panic; she felt extremely uncomfortable and helpless.”
Elsherif was afraid to sleep, even pretend, fearing he’d touch her. Her lawsuit alleges that when she reported the male passenger’s inappropriate behavior, a female American Airlines flight attendant responded with, “Men just do stuff like that.”
The flight attendant allegedly offered Elsherif a change of seats that would require a downgrade in cabin. The lawsuit says she moved to coach despite paying over $3,000 for a premium window seat. The flight attendant allegedly refused to move John Doe, and he was still served champagne after she switched seats.
Elsherif is reportedly seeking damages for her emotional distress.
What Else Is There To Know About The Lawsuit?
The multi-business entrepreneur believes that her bad American Airlines experience had a racially discriminatory component. PEOPLE reported that Elsherif is of Arab descent, while the flight attendant and John Doe are white.
“Upon information and belief, because Plaintiff is an Arab woman, the flight attendant did not treat plaintiff’s report of John Doe masturbating next to her as a sexual assault,” said the lawsuit, per The Daily Mail.
“The flight attendant gave John Doe preferential treatment over [Elsherif], and treated John Doe’s safety, comfort, and convenience more importantly than [hers] because John Doe is a white male,” the suit reportedly included.
Elsherif’s filing describes what happened as “a disturbing and traumatic experience.” Her lawsuit allegedly states that after the incident, the CEO suffers “severe anxiety, fear of flying, and emotional trauma.” Her attorneys reportedly claim that the flight attendant’s alleged comment implied that “as a woman, [Elsherif] was expected to endure such grotesque misconduct, and [reinforced] the pernicious and unlawful stereotype that women must tolerate male predation as a fact of life.”
According to The Daily Mail, Elsherif escalated the incident within American Airlines. The CEO says the airline didn’t report the man or give her his name to do it herself.
Has American Airlines Addressed The Incident?
In a statement, the carrier said, “American strives to provide a positive experience to everyone who travels with us. We are reviewing the allegations of the complaint.”
