A woman is suing American Airlines for claiming it failed to protect her from an “uncontrollably drunk” passenger who allegedly sexually harassed her.
Gretchen Stelter, 42, was sitting in business class aboard a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago on Oct. 29 when she made small talk with the man next to her.
But she said he became increasingly drunk and she became uncomfortable when he allegedly touched her and tried to kiss her repeatedly.
Stelter claimed he also grabbed her buttocks as she moved to swap seats with a sympathetic passenger, according to a lawsuit filed in Illinois on May 22.
She has accused American Airlines of failing to take steps to protect her and being “shamed and blamed” by alleged employees.
Gretchen Stelter is suing American Airlines over claims it failed to protect her from an “uncontrollably drunk” passenger who allegedly sexually harassed her.
The 42-year-old woman was sitting in business class aboard a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago on Oct. 29 when she made small talk with the man next to her.
Stelter was returning from Mexico after a trip with friends and was editing a book manuscript before the incident.
But the man next to her started chatting with her and she decided to make small talk.
“It was pretty clear right away that I wanted to chat,” he told Chicago Grandstand. “She just kept talking.”
She said they were talking about common things before he became progressively drunk during the flight.
Stelter claimed he complimented her appearance and said he wished his girlfriend looked more like her.
But she continued to reject his advances and told him she was “happily married.”
There were two flight attendants in the area when he “made vile, offensive and harassing comments” to Stelter, according to the lawsuit.
He allegedly told her that he was going to perform a sexual act and that he would “exhaust” her and “fuck” her.
“Honestly, I was trapped,” she said. ‘I was in 3A. She was in 3B. My only way to get out of that seat was to have some kind of help or climb on top of it, giving him full access to parts of my body that I didn’t feel like giving him access to.’
She added that the man told a flight attendant he was just “having fun” and the employee “took no action to protect her.”
“She walked away, allowing the attacker to keep the alcohol that remained in her glass, as well as the bottle of vodka, which then remained visible on her tray,” the lawsuit states.
She has accused American Airlines of failing to take steps to protect her and being “shamed and blamed” by alleged employees.
Stelter claimed the man’s behavior worsened when he attempted to touch her, hold her hand and kiss her before spitting on the ground.
Her lawsuit insists that two flight attendants witnessed the passenger’s actions but did nothing to help her despite her complaints. But they allegedly warned him not to touch other passengers.
“I think I was a little shocked because no one was helping me,” Stelter said. “I wanted to curl up into a ball and be as small as possible because I didn’t want to be touched anymore.”
She added that she went to change seats with another passenger who saw that she was feeling uncomfortable when the man allegedly grabbed her buttocks as she stepped over him to leave.
Police removed the man from the plane upon landing because he was “too drunk to move safely,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Stetler was “reprimanded and blamed” by gate officers after the incident.
She was reportedly told she had not done enough to stop the man’s behavior and decided to file a complaint with American Airlines.
She said the man became increasingly drunk and she became uncomfortable when he allegedly touched her and tried to kiss her repeatedly.
Stelter claimed he also grabbed her buttocks as she moved to swap seats with a sympathetic passenger, according to a lawsuit filed in Illinois on May 22.
Her lawsuit insists that two American Airlines flight attendants witnessed the passenger’s actions but did nothing to help her despite her complaints.
A customer service worker called her and allegedly yelled at her and blamed her for the incident.
“After explaining that she had alerted the American flight attendants about the attacker’s behavior and that they had taken no action in response, the American customer service employee screamed and blamed (Stelter) for the incident, leaving her in tears,” states the demand.
But Stelter said he received another call from someone on American Airlines’ executive team who admitted the other employee didn’t handle the situation properly.
She stated that she was told that a member of the global investigations team would contact her, but this apparently did not happen.
The passenger next to him was not named in the lawsuit and it is unclear if he faces criminal charges.
Stelter said he signed a complaint against him and has been in contact with the FBI.
DailyMail.com has contacted American Airlines for comment.
