A woman is suing American Airlines over claims it failed to protect her from an ‘uncontrollably intoxicated’ passenger who allegedly sexually assaulted her.
Gretchen Stelter, 42, was sitting in business class aboard a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago on Oct. 29 when she engaged in small talk with the man next to her.
But she said he was increasingly drunk and she felt uncomfortable as he allegedly repeatedly touched her and tried to kiss her.
Stelter claimed he also grabbed her behind 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 action to protect her and the alleged employees who ‘shamed and blamed’ her.
Gretchen Stelter is suing American Airlines over claims it failed to protect her from an uncontrollably drunk passenger who allegedly sexually assaulted her.
The 42-year-old was sitting in business class aboard a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago on Oct. 29 when she engaged in 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 talking to her and she decided to engage in conversation.
“It was very clear right away that he wanted to talk,” she told the Chicago Tribune. “He just kept talking.”
She said they were talking about ordinary things before he gradually got drunk during the flight.
Stelter claimed he complimented her looks and said he wished his girlfriend was more like her.
But she continued to rebuff his advances and told him she was ‘happily married’.
There were two flight attendants in the area when he “made disgusting, offensive and harassing comments” to Stelter, according to the lawsuit.
He allegedly told her he was going to perform a sexual act and would ‘exhaust’ and ‘damage’ her.
“Honestly, I was stuck,” she said. “I was in 3A. He was in 3B. My only way to get out of that seat was to either have some kind of help or hold on to him, giving him full access to the parts of my body that I didn’t have wish to give him access.’
She added that the man told a flight attendant he was just ‘having fun’ and the employee took ‘no action to protect’ him.
“He walked away, allowing the assailant to keep the alcohol (that) was left in his glass, and the bottle of vodka was then left in plain view on his desk,” the lawsuit states.
She has accused American Airlines of failing to take action to protect her and the employees who allegedly ‘shamed and blamed’ her from the victims.
Stelter claimed the man’s behavior worsened after he tried to touch her, hold her hand and kiss her before spitting on the floor.
Her lawsuit insists 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 that no one was helping me,” Stelter said. “I wanted to go back into a ball and be as small as possible because I didn’t want to be touched anymore.
She added that she went to switch seats with another passenger, who looked uncomfortable when the man allegedly grabbed her behind as she walked over him to leave.
Police removed the man from the plane after landing because he was “too intoxicated to move safely,” according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Stetler was ‘punished and blamed’ by gate agents after the incident.
She was told she did not do enough to stop the man’s behavior and decided to file a complaint with American Airlines.
She said the man was increasingly drunk and she felt uncomfortable as he allegedly touched her and repeatedly tried to kiss her.
Stelter claimed he also grabbed her behind as she moved to swap seats with a sympathetic passenger, according to a lawsuit filed in Illinois on May 22.
Her lawsuit insists two American Airlines flight attendants witnessed the passenger’s actions but did nothing to help her despite her complaints.
A customer relations employee 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 they had taken no action in response, the American customer relations employee yelled at her and blamed (Stelter) for the incident, leaving (her) in tears. states sue.
But Stelter said she received another call from someone on American Airlines’ executive team, who acknowledged that the other employee did not handle the situation properly.
She claimed she was told a member of the global investigations team would contact her, but this apparently did not happen.
The passenger next to her is not named in the lawsuit and it is not known if he faces criminal charges.
Stelter said she signed a complaint against him and has been in contact with the FBI.
DailyMail.com has contacted American Airlines for comment.