Delta flight attendant ‘sexually molested’ 11-year-old girl on flight, Miami lawsuit alleges

A Delta flight attendant repeatedly harassed, groped and “sexually molested” an 11-year-old girl who was flying alone on a trip that left from Fort Lauderdale, a newly filed federal lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in the Southern District of Florida.

The girl, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, was bound for Sydney, Australia, in December 2019. The first flight left Fort Lauderdale for Atlanta. The incident happened on the second flight, a cross-country leg from Atlanta to Los Angeles.

The claim alleges that the girl was “inappropriately touched, rubbed and/or stroked” by the unidentified attendant “multiple times and in different manners.” The flight attendant also made many inappropriate and sexualized comments, including telling the girl “your body’s beautiful” and “I love you,” the suit alleges.

When the flight landed in Los Angeles, the attendant tried to accompany the girl off the plane, something staffers are required to do with unaccompanied minors. “Come off with me and I’ll show you where to go,” he said, according to the complaint. But another flight attendant, sensing something was amiss, intervened and walked the girl into the terminal.

The girl immediately reported the incident to Los Angeles police at the airport. A police report says the girl was “visibly shaken,” according to the complaint filed by Coral Gables lawyer Ian Pinkert.

No charges have been filed.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the airline said it was aware of the lawsuit.

“Delta contacted law enforcement immediately upon learning of the initial allegations and cooperated in their investigation,” the statement said. “To Delta’s knowledge, no criminal charges were brought against any Delta employee. Delta has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct in any form by its employees.”