American Airways, going through complaints after a flight attendant allegedly filmed ladies the usage of aircraft toilets, is blaming a 9-year-old lady for being secretly recorded.
The airline in a brand new courtroom submitting is arguing that the younger lady will have to have recognized that the aircraft bathroom contained a recording software.
“Defendant would display that any accidents or sicknesses imagined to had been sustained by means of Plaintiff, Mary Doe, had been proximately led to by means of Plaintiff’s personal fault and negligence,” American Airways’ legal professionals wrote of their protection submitting.
The airline’s legal professionals added in regards to the 9-year-old lady the usage of “the compromised bathroom” at the aircraft: “She knew or will have to have recognized contained a visual and illuminated recording software.”
The complaints towards American Airways began after a former flight attendant was once arrested in reference to allegedly recording a 14-year-old lady in a aircraft’s rest room on a Boston-bound flight.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 36, of Charlotte, N.C., additionally allegedly had recordings of 4 different lady passengers the usage of aircraft bathrooms — together with the 9-year-old lady, who’s from Texas and was once flying along with her circle of relatives to visit Disneyland.
All through the flight closing 12 months, she was once secretly filmed whilst the usage of the aircraft bathroom, in keeping with the circle of relatives’s lawsuit towards American Airways. The circle of relatives is arguing that the airline knew or will have to have recognized that Thompson “was once a threat.”
The circle of relatives and their legal professionals had been surprised by means of this fresh courtroom submitting from American Airways.
“As a substitute of taking accountability for this terrible match, American Airways is if truth be told blaming our daughter for being filmed,” the woman’s mom stated in a remark. “How in just right judgment of right and wrong may they even make the sort of advice? It each shocks and angers us. American Airways has no disgrace.”
Lawyer Paul Llewellyn, a spouse at Lewis & Llewellyn LLP, stated, “In charge a 9 12 months outdated for being filmed whilst the usage of the aircraft rest room is each surprising and outrageous. In my view it is a wicked prison technique that sinks to a brand new low. American Airways will have to be completely ashamed of themselves.”
Thompson was once arraigned at the federal fees connection to the Boston-bound flight all the way through a U.S. District Court docket of Massachusetts listening to on Monday.
Thompson, who’s in federal custody, pleaded now not responsible to at least one depend of tried sexual exploitation of kids, and one depend of ownership of kid pornography depicting a prepubescent minor.
In American Airways’ fresh courtroom submitting, the airline’s legal professionals additionally wrote: “Defendant Thompson was once now not appearing throughout the path and scope of his employment on the time of the alleged wrongful behavior towards Plaintiff… this Defendant (American) can’t be held vicariously accountable for Defendant Thompson’s alleged movements that came about out of doors the path and scope of his employment.”
American Airways didn’t instantly reply to touch upon Tuesday.
After Thompson was once arrested in January, the airline stated, “We take those allegations very significantly. They don’t replicate our airline or our core project of taking good care of other people. Now we have been absolutely cooperating with regulation enforcement in its investigation, as there’s not anything extra essential than the security and safety of our shoppers and workforce.”