Two passengers on a United Airlines flight have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a pilot forcibly removed one of them from a bathroom and made antisemitic remarks during a flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston, Texas, on Jan. 28.
Yisroel Liebb and Jacob Sebbag filed the lawsuit in New York on Wednesday against United Airlines, the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
According to the lawsuit, the incident began when Liebb experienced constipation and went to the bathroom shortly after the flight took off. After 20 minutes, a flight attendant asked Sebbag to check on Liebb, and he relayed the situation to the flight crew.
Approximately 10 minutes later, the lawsuit alleges that a pilot yelled at Liebb from outside the bathroom, demanding that he leave immediately and ordered Sebbag to force him out.
The situation escalated when the pilot allegedly broke the bathroom door's lock, forcibly pulling Liebb out of the bathroom with his pants still around his ankles. The lawsuit further claims that the pilot made antisemitic remarks, saying "Jews act" in reference to the two men, both of whom were wearing "traditional Jewish garb."
After the confrontation, both passengers were escorted back to their seats. The lawsuit states that the pilot made threats of arrest and continued to make disparaging comments about their religion.
Upon landing in Houston, Liebb and Sebbag were handcuffed and escorted off the plane by CBP officers, one of whom allegedly told them, "this isn't county or state, we are homeland, you have no rights here." Both men are American citizens.
The plaintiffs claim they experienced significant delays, physical injuries, emotional distress, public embarrassment, and discomfort as a result of the incident. They also state that Liebb feels sexually violated and embarrassed due to the public exposure in the bathroom.
Additionally, the lawsuit asserts that the detainment caused both passengers to miss a connecting flight to New York. While United Airlines provided them with a flight the next day, the lawsuit argues that the costs of food and lodging in Houston far outweighed the value of the new flight.
The lawsuit seeks damages for the physical and emotional harm caused by the incident and the alleged mistreatment by airline and government officials.
