A California woman has filed a federal lawsuit against American Airlines, claiming she was sexually assaulted during an overnight flight by a passenger previously accused of similar misconduct. NBC News reports that Barbara Morgan alleges the April 2024 incident occurred on a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Dallas. During the flight, Texas resident Cherian Abraham, 54, repeatedly attempted to touch her inappropriately, including trying to put his hand between her legs despite her vocal protests.
According to the lawsuit, flight attendants failed to intervene during the assault, and airline executives later attempted to blame Morgan for not reporting the incident during the flight. Morgan was assigned a middle seat on the flight when the alleged assault occurred. She reported that Abraham ignored her demands to stop his unwanted advances, leaving her feeling “paralyzed” and with “nowhere to go” in the confined space of the aircraft.
American Airlines Knew Of Previous Incidents
Morgan’s lawsuit claims American Airlines knew about Abraham’s history, stating there were earlier incidents dating back to 2023. Her attorney, Sarah M. Raisch, accused the airline in a news release of allowing Abraham to become “a serial predator under their watch and on their airplanes.” When Morgan reported her experience after landing, she hoped the airline would take meaningful action to protect other passengers. Instead, she says she was “met with cold responses and blame, as if I had done something wrong.”
Morgan’s attorney states that American Airlines has been aware for years that sexual assaults on overnight flights are increasing, yet failed to take appropriate preventive measures. “When will corporations finally believe women? What needs to happen for corporations to finally take women’s safety seriously?” Raisch asked. Morgan herself explained that she is sharing her story because she wants corporations to “do better” in protecting passengers.
Morgan’s lawsuit accuses the airline of negligence, emotional distress, concealment, and Abraham of sexual battery and gender violence. Her legal team argues the airline has repeatedly ignored warnings about in-flight sexual assaults, calling it a “failure of basic responsibility.”
