DALLAS, TX – A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, alleging she was sexually assaulted by a fellow passenger during a flight from San Francisco to Dallas. The incident, which occurred last April, has raised concerns about the airline’s handling of sexual misconduct reports.
Barbara Morgan claims she was assaulted by a man seated next to her on the overnight flight. She recently spoke out about the incident, describing the feeling of helplessness and disbelief as a stranger violated her personal space. Morgan is not the only woman accusing the same man of inappropriate behavior on flights.
Sherry Ann Abraham, 54, was arrested by the FBI last month for allegedly groping a 22-year-old woman on a flight from Chicago to Seattle. Federal authorities have not released a mugshot of Abraham, who has been accused of similar behavior on two prior occasions. The first incident occurred in October 2023 on an American Airlines flight, but the victim chose not to press charges. Morgan’s encounter with Abraham happened in April of the same year.
Morgan’s attorneys announced the lawsuit against Abraham and American Airlines during a press call on Wednesday. They argue that the airline was aware of previous allegations against Abraham before Morgan’s assault took place. The lawsuit aims to hold American Airlines accountable for taking reports of sexual assault seriously.
Morgan recounted her experience, stating she was too shocked to report the incident to the flight crew immediately. Upon landing, she informed a gate agent about the assault. Despite filing multiple complaints with the airline, Morgan believes her concerns were not adequately addressed. She felt dismissed by the airline, which seemed to place the responsibility on her for not speaking up sooner.
American Airlines has not directly addressed the allegations, referring inquiries to law enforcement. The airline provided a brief statement emphasizing its commitment to passenger safety, but declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation.
The lawsuit seeks to compel American Airlines to implement stricter measures in handling and investigating sexual assault reports to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. Morgan hopes her case will encourage other victims to come forward and demand accountability from airlines.
The legal proceedings highlight the broader issue of passenger safety and the responsibilities of airlines in protecting their customers from potential harm during flights. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how airlines address allegations of sexual misconduct in the future.