NFL player was ‘groped by drug-addled female plane passenger who ripped off his coronavirus mask’
An NFL player was allegedly groped by a "drug-addled" female plane passenger on a United Airlines flight, who ripped off his coronavirus mask, court documents show.
The athlete, known as John Doe 1 in a filing, said the incident happened onboard a red-eye jet bound for Newark Liberty International Airport on February 10.
The player claimed the airline crew did nothing to stop the "intoxicated" woman who "sexually harassed, assaulted, abused, and violated" him after tearing off his face mask, according to a First Amended Complaint filed on Wednesday.
According to the lawsuit obtained by The Sun, the unidentified woman referred to as Roe 1 was “disheveled and unbalanced” when she boarded and sat down in the economy plus section beside him.
It alleged that she "grabbed John Doe 1's penis and ripped off his face mask" during the flight.
The filing described how initially, she began "hitting" his arm and demanding he remove the mask or move to the front of the plane if he was sick before the alleged sexual abuse took place.
'GROPING'
She then began "groping and massaging" his knees and thighs after popping pills 25-minutes into the flight, as per the filing.
John Doe 1 recalled how the groping “intensified,” and she began “grabbing and groping his quads and then stroking her hand across his lap towards the inside of his leg near his genitals" even though he pleaded with her to stop.
A second man sitting in their row — called John Doe 2 in the lawsuit — is also suing the airline claiming he alerted the cabin crew to no avail.
This man said he alerted airline workers twice before the alleged abuse escalated.
Bleary-eyed Roe 1 eventually turned her attention to John Doe 2 when the footballer left his middle seat to complain, "grabbing his leg and groin area" before she was moved to another row.
'BEING A MALE VICTIM'
The filing stated that both John Does were African American men and it's unclear if they knew each other beforehand.
The professional footballer is from Essex County in and the second man, John Doe 2, lives in .
They were both given $150 vouchers after the incident.
But the Joe Does allege they weren't adequately protected by United staff, who were made aware of the woman's behavior.
"Fearful of the perception of being a male victim and the racial stigma of being a young African American male, John Doe 1 patiently pleaded for assailant to stop and removed her hand,” the suit read.
'JUSTICE AND COMPENSATION'
Lawyer Benji Azizian, who is representing both men, acknowledged it's "hard to quantify the harm suffered" after an incident like this.
His California-based law firm had previously noted that in-flight sexual assaults were an ongoing problem on red-eye journeys, citing the FBI's 2018 warning that they were increasing at "an alarming rate."
"At this time, we do not have a dollar amount available for comment, but will say that we are seeking justice and compensation, including punitive damages, for what our clients had to endure," Azizian told The Sun.
"Accountability and responsibility are at the core of our justice system."
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"We seek to hold accountable those who have harmed our clients through their direct or indirect actions."
United spokesperson Rachael Rivas told “the safety and well-being of our customers is always our top priority.”
“In this instance, the customer involved was moved to a different seat,”Rivas said. “Because litigation is now pending, we’re unable to provide further comment.”