Woman who was sexually assaulted on flight home from Taylor Swift concert files lawsuit

A woman who was sexually assaulted on a Delta Airlines flight on her way home from attending a Taylor Swift concert has filed a lawsuit against the airline and her attacker.

The assault happened on March 20, 2023, on a flight from Phoenix to Seattle.

Federal prosecutors say Duane Brick, 53, was seated next to the woman who appeared to be asleep after taking sleeping pills. He took her hand and placed it on his crotch and reached under the woman’s shirt and touched her breasts, according to the Department of Justice.

Brick, a Delta Airlines mechanic, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact on March 5. He is no longer employed by the airline.

“After the victim woke up and realized she was being sexually assaulted, Mr. Brick went to the restroom. He was visibly intoxicated and left behind empty airline alcohol bottles,” the victim’s attorney, Mark Lindquist, said in a statement Thursday.

“Both a witness and the victim reported the sexual assault to flight attendants. Mr. Brick was still allowed to return to his seat next to the victim. After approximately 15 minutes, flight attendants finally moved the perpetrator to a different seat,” Linquist alleges.

The lawsuit alleges Delta overserved alcohol to Brick, failed to adequately train employees on how to prevent and address sex assaults, and failed to monitor the cabin and protect passengers properly.

It seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

“While Delta will decline to comment on pending litigation, Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and will work with law enforcement entities to that end,” the airline said in a statement to KTLA 5 News. “Delta immediately collaborated with the FBI and the local U.S. Attorney’s Office in criminal proceedings that resulted in a guilty plea to federal charges.”

Linquist is also representing passengers who were aboard the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 that lost a door plug midair while flying from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, on Jan. 5.

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