Spirit Airlines passenger: Cabin crew didn’t take my groping allegation seriously
The FBI is investigating a Michigan woman’s claim that she was sexually assaulted aboard a Spirit Airlines flight by a man sitting next to her. The woman said the flight attendants took the alleged assault lightly – asking her to move her seat, but not making that same request of him.
Spirit Airlines, however, said its crew did all that it could to assist the woman, offered to move her but that she refused, so everyone had to stay put – including the alleged attacker – as the plane was about to land.
The accuser – a third-year college student at Eastern Michigan University – never sat back down as she was fuming over what she said happened: She woke up from a nap, she said, to discover a man’s hands down her pants.
“We were in the process of landing and I said, ‘Until y’all move him, I’m not sitting down,’ ” the woman, 22-year-old Tia Jackson of Westland, told the Free Press on Wednesday.
“I am most upset about the fact that they took it so lightly,” Jackson said of the Spirit Airlines crew. “Not one person asked if I was OK. … The passengers got more upset than the staff. … I would like an apology at least.”
Spirit Airlines issued a statement that detailed the steps its crew took once they were made aware of the situation.
“We take this claim seriously and are in direct contact with the guest,” the statement reads, stressing the crew was “quick and professional.”
“Our flight attendants onboard that flight learned of the alleged incident 18 minutes prior to landing when the guest pressed the call button and received immediate attention,” Spirit Airlines states. “Once she told the flight attendant who came to her seat, the flight attendant directed her to a different seat.”
Spirit Airlines continued:
“The cabin crew wanted to move her, as opposed to him, because the move would have left him with an empty seat on one side and an aisle on the other.”
But Jackson refused to move.
“By the time the guest declined to move, landing was imminent and everyone had to be seated as required by federal regulation,” the statement reads. “Law enforcement began its investigation immediately after the flight arrived. We are supporting law enforcement as they investigate.”
FBI spokesperson Mara Schneider confirmed an investigation, but could not offer details.
Related: Sexual assault on Spirit flight lands man in prison for 9 years
According to Jackson, here is what happened to her on that flight:
It was about 9:08 a.m. when she heard the announcement over the intercom that the plane was preparing for landing. Jackson was flying home from a trip to Atlanta, where she was visiting family and friends and looking into future career options, specifically working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is headquartered in Atlanta.
