A woman who was sexually assaulted by a Delta Airlines employee on a flight returning from a Taylor Swift concert is suing the airline.
The victim was traveling aboard a Delta flight from Phoenix to Seattle when her traveling companion Duane Brick groped her while she was sleeping.
Brick, 53, who later identified himself as a Delta mechanic, placed the victim’s hand on his crotch and put his hand up her shirt while sitting next to her during the flight on March 20, 2023.
The woman woke up being assaulted and reported the incident, which was also witnessed by another passenger. Upon landing in Seattle, she reported the incident and Brick was subsequently convicted.
However, he is now suing Delta for claiming that flight attendants on board allowed him to remain seated next to her for 15 minutes after the report.
Woman who was sexually assaulted by Delta Airlines employee on flight back from Taylor Swift concert sues airline
The victim was traveling aboard a Delta flight from Phoenix to Seattle when her traveling companion Duane Brick groped her while she was sleeping. Pictured: Seattle Tacoma Airport
The victim also claims Brick was served too much alcohol during the trip.
‘As a common carrier, Delta owes the highest duty of care and has a legal duty to provide airline passengers, including plaintiff, with a safe flight free from unauthorized and abusive sexual contact by other passengers, including Delta employees themselves. ‘, the lawsuit states.
Brick admitted to touching the woman for ‘sexual gratification’, according to a statement from the Prosecutor’s Office.
The United States Attorney’s Office charged him with abusive sexual contact. He pleaded guilty on March 5 of this year.
He is scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on June 10, 2024. He faces up to two years in prison.
“Everyone should feel safe falling asleep on a plane without risking being groped and sexually assaulted,” said the victim’s attorney, Mark Lindquist. “Airlines can and must do more to stop these serious violations.”
The lawsuit alleges negligence, gross negligence, assault and battery.
Additionally, Lindquist alleges that Delta served Mr. Brick too much alcohol, failed to adequately train employees on how to prevent and address sexual assaults, and failed to adequately monitor the cabin or protect passengers.
The victim is now suing Delta for claiming that the flight attendants on board allowed him to sit next to her for 15 minutes after she reported the assault to staff.
The assault is just one of dozens of cases of sexual abuse on board flights reported last year to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
In July 2023, Jack Roberson, 69, pleaded guilty to simple assault for his contact with a 15-year-old boy sitting next to him on a flight from Atlanta to Seattle.
According to case records, Roberson placed his hand on the teen’s thigh and slowly moved it up and under her skirt to her inner thigh.
The victim immediately reported her guardian and the accused was arrested when the flight landed.
Roberson faces up to a year in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lauren King on June 5, 2024.
Similarly, Abhinav Kumar, 38, was prosecuted for abusive sexual contact for assaulting a teenager sitting near him on an Emirates flight to Seattle.
He has pleaded not guilty and the trial is scheduled for May 6.
“The Western District of Washington continues to see an alarming increase in cases of sexual assault on board aircraft,” said United States Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
‘Last August we emphasized that we have zero tolerance for this type of aggression. Unfortunately, we continue to learn of new allegations and are investigating and filing charges in those cases.”
A Delta spokeswoman said: “While Delta will decline to comment on pending litigation, Delta has zero tolerance for illegal conduct and will work with law enforcement entities to that end.”