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Woman says she was humiliated over sex toy, sues airline
Associated Press
Posted July 26 2002, 1:36 PM EDT
CLEARWATER -- A woman who was pulled off an airplane in Dallas and asked to pull a sex toy out of her luggage after it started vibrating has sued Delta Airlines, saying she was publicly humiliated.
Renee Koutsouradis, 36, of Pinellas County, was sitting on a plane in February with her husband, awaiting takeoff from Dallas, when her name was called over the loud speaker.
She was met at the front of the plane by a Delta security agent who told her to walk with him to the tarmac.
When he told her something was vibrating in one of her bags, she said she told the agent that it was an adult toy that she and her husband had just bought on their trip to Las Vegas.
She said the agent took her to the bag on the tarmac and forced her to open it ``and remove the adult toy and hold it up for visible view,'' according to the suit that was filed Wednesday in Pinellas County Court.
Passengers on the side of the plane facing the tarmac saw everything, and three male Delta employees nearby ``began laughing hysterically'' and made ``obnoxious and sexually harassing comments,'' the suit claims.
After having to hold the item up for a minute, the suit says, Koutsouradis was allowed to repack and return to her seat for the flight to Tampa.
Embarrassing incidents have become more common with increased security by all airlines since Sept. 11, said Michael Boyd, an airline planning and security consultant.
``Customers now have to be aware that their bags are always subject to search in front of other people,'' he said.
Koutsouradis' lawyer, Brad Tobin, would not release her hometown, except that she lives in Pinellas County. There was no local telephone listing under her name.
She declined comment when contacted by the St. Petersburg Times.
``I just don't want to be embarrassed any more than I've already been,'' she told the newspaper for Friday editions.
Tobin said Delta agents should have escorted his client to a private area.
``She was pretty horrified by the treatment,'' he said. ``She never contended that Delta doesn't have the right to investigate a security issue. It was their total lack of professionalism.''
A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Delta declined comment on specifics of the lawsuit.
``We have an obligation ... to protect the safety and security of passengers,'' said spokeswoman Katie Connell. ``If there's anything questionable about a bag, we have a responsibility to investigate.''
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages of more than $15,000, accusing Delta of negligence, the intentional infliction of emotional distress and gender discrimination.
Story's right here...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-726vibrator.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
Associated Press
Posted July 26 2002, 1:36 PM EDT
CLEARWATER -- A woman who was pulled off an airplane in Dallas and asked to pull a sex toy out of her luggage after it started vibrating has sued Delta Airlines, saying she was publicly humiliated.
Renee Koutsouradis, 36, of Pinellas County, was sitting on a plane in February with her husband, awaiting takeoff from Dallas, when her name was called over the loud speaker.
She was met at the front of the plane by a Delta security agent who told her to walk with him to the tarmac.
When he told her something was vibrating in one of her bags, she said she told the agent that it was an adult toy that she and her husband had just bought on their trip to Las Vegas.
She said the agent took her to the bag on the tarmac and forced her to open it ``and remove the adult toy and hold it up for visible view,'' according to the suit that was filed Wednesday in Pinellas County Court.
Passengers on the side of the plane facing the tarmac saw everything, and three male Delta employees nearby ``began laughing hysterically'' and made ``obnoxious and sexually harassing comments,'' the suit claims.
After having to hold the item up for a minute, the suit says, Koutsouradis was allowed to repack and return to her seat for the flight to Tampa.
Embarrassing incidents have become more common with increased security by all airlines since Sept. 11, said Michael Boyd, an airline planning and security consultant.
``Customers now have to be aware that their bags are always subject to search in front of other people,'' he said.
Koutsouradis' lawyer, Brad Tobin, would not release her hometown, except that she lives in Pinellas County. There was no local telephone listing under her name.
She declined comment when contacted by the St. Petersburg Times.
``I just don't want to be embarrassed any more than I've already been,'' she told the newspaper for Friday editions.
Tobin said Delta agents should have escorted his client to a private area.
``She was pretty horrified by the treatment,'' he said. ``She never contended that Delta doesn't have the right to investigate a security issue. It was their total lack of professionalism.''
A spokeswoman for Atlanta-based Delta declined comment on specifics of the lawsuit.
``We have an obligation ... to protect the safety and security of passengers,'' said spokeswoman Katie Connell. ``If there's anything questionable about a bag, we have a responsibility to investigate.''
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages of more than $15,000, accusing Delta of negligence, the intentional infliction of emotional distress and gender discrimination.
Story's right here...
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-726vibrator.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines
