JetBlue airline and two of its pilots recently came under fire in a new lawsuit alleging the two pilots drugged and raped a few female crew members during a layover.
A lawsuit was recently filed against JetBlue airline over allegations that two male pilots drugged and raped two flight crew attendants last year. According to the lawsuit, the incident happened during a layover in Puerto Rico and left one of the victims with an STD. As a result of the May 2018 incident, the two plaintiffs who were raped, and a third who was drugged, are seeking at least $75,000 in damages.
The suit itself was filed earlier this week in federal court in New York by “Jane Doe #1 of Riverton, Utah, and Jane Doe #2 of Fort Worth, Texas.” In the suit, the plaintiffs claim pilots Eric Johnson and Dan Watson drugged and attacked them and another female co-worker “during a layover at the Intercontinental Hotel in San Juan.”
Prior to the attack, the pilots met the three women on May 9 on the beach during a layover and offered them beers from a lunch bag, “which the women consumed, unaware that the drinks were allegedly laced with drugs.” The suit further states, “the rest of the night became a blur for the women…and they soon found themselves back at the hotel with the pilots.”
According to the lawsuit, Watson left soon after the attack when he was scratched, though “Doe #1 says she recalls hazily waking up to Johnson raping her.” The suit states, “Her flashes of memory included Johnson having sexual intercourse with the other [third] crewmember who was also under the influence of the drugs.” Before Doe #2 could be raped, she began to vomit and was spared when Johnson said her vomiting “was a turnoff.”
When the attack was over, Johnson then told the women, “thank you for making my fantasy come true.”
The next morning on a flight to Newark, N.J., the plaintiffs began “feeling groggy and numb as they expressed to each other that they were stunned by the turn of events.” To make matters worse, when Doe #1 returned to her home in Utah and visited her doctor, she tested positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV), “which she could only have contracted from defendant Johnson.”
As if that’s not bad enough, when Doe #1 and Doe #2 reported the incident to JetBlue headquarters, though “no corrective action was ever taken again.”
When commenting on the matter, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, Abraham Z. Melamed issued the following statement:
“What happened to my clients is truly horrific, and JetBlue’s failure to take corrective action is appalling. I am hopeful that the courage of my clients will bring about some real change and inspire others who have been silenced to come forward. We look forward to getting justice.”
On the other side of the aisle, representatives for JetBlue said they “could not comment on pending litigation,” though noted the airline “takes allegations of violent or inappropriate behavior very seriously and investigates such claims thoroughly.” An airline spokesperson added, “we work to create a respectful workplace for all our crewmembers where they feel welcome and safe.”
Sources:
JetBlue pilots drugged, raped female crew members in sick ‘fantasy’ assault, lawsuit claims
JetBlue crew members claim in lawsuit they were drugged, and one raped by pilots
Join the conversation!