An American Airlines passenger claims she was left “crying and shaking hysterically” after a flight attendant shook her violently and called the police over an accusation that she had stolen an airline blanket. Nathalie Sorensen recently filed a lawsuit in the Dallas County Court over the incident and is demanding $1 million in compensation for the “humiliation” it caused.
The flight attendant, who is only known by the name Thor, allegedly grabbed Sorensen by the arm and started to shake her violently as she slept beside her partner on American Airlines flight AA2575 between Miami and Dallas Fort-Worth.
“Wake up right now. Wake up!” the flight attendant is claimed to have shouted. ‘I know you stole this blanket!” the suit alleges he yelled at her. Sorensen, who was sat in First Class, had two blankets because, she claims, her fiance had given his blanket to her so she could get some rest.
An altercation apparently broke out between Sorensen’s partner and the flight attendant leaving her “crying and shaking hysterically”.
The flight attendant, however, rebuffed the intervention of Sorensen’s fiance, telling them: “This is my airplane, I am the head flight attendant and I can touch whoever I want.”
The incident then escalated when the flight attendant returned with a warning letter which detailed FAA penalties for disruptive passengers, telling them both that they “better watch out”.
On arrival in Dallas, Sorensen was escorted off the plane by six law enforcement officers who questioned her briefly before letting her go without taking any further action.
As well as being left “embarrassed, humiliated and ashamed” by the incident, Sorensen also claims she “has suffered great mental pain, and in all reasonable likelihood will continue to suffer in this manner for the duration of her natural life.”
A spokesperson for American says the airline can’t comment on the specifics of an open lawsuit but that it takes the “safety and comfort of our customers very seriously”.
“We’re committed to providing a positive experience for everyone who travels with us,” a statement from American Airlines continued.
