Woman says she was forced to sit next to man who was masturbating, was later given $100 flight credit; United Airlines launches probe
A 25-year-old woman, a pediatric crisis therapist, has complained that she was forced to sit next to a man who was masturbating on his seat while staring at her during an early morning United Airlines flight ahead of Labor Day weekend. After NBC News reported the incident, the airline announced an investigation into it. The woman said she reported the incident to flight staff but her seat was not changed as they said there were no other seats.
But to her surprise, the airline staff did not call law enforcement, and the man deplaned at Newark Liberty International Airport “as if nothing had happened”. The staff also told her that she should report it to the police. She said she also called the FBI.
When the plane landed and the man exited, the woman went to the staff again, and one employee replied, “What am I supposed to do about it? She filed a complaint with United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration.