Man Says He Needs Surgery After Rough TSA Pat-Down

Montreal, PQ, Canada - November 15, 2015: Airline passengers waiting in line to pass through airport security at Pierre Eliott Trudeau airport

Passenger claims “rough search” of groin area will require surgery to correct.

A Chicago flyer claims a full pat-down search by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) led to an injury so severe, he will go under the knife in October to correct it. Chicago NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV reports the passenger, David Stavropolous, has filed a federal complaint against the agency for damages after his airport experience.

According to his account, Stavropolous was flying from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Dallas when he received the injury. After going through the body scanner, the flyer was stopped and asked if he had anything in his pocket. He revealed a single dollar bill – which he claims lead to the agents calling for a full-body pat down.

When going through the manual search, Stavropolous accuses an unnamed TSA agent of driving a hand into his groin twice, with enough force to cause immediate pain. He immediately accused the agent of injuring him and demanded a supervisor. As a result of his protest, the flyer claims he was threatened with arrest, followed by a strip search.

“I said if you’re going to do a strip search, I refuse,” Stavropolous told WMAQ. “I’ll do it out in the open!”

After the encounter, the passenger said he was simply asked to do another strip search and was sent on his way. By this time, Stavropolous claims not only did he miss his flight, but was in immeasurable pain. He currently sees a urologist and will ultimately seek relief through surgery.

In a statement to WMAQ, the TSA did not directly address the lawsuit. Instead, the agency claimed their silence was not “agreement or stipulation” with Stavropolous’ accusations, while the agents “uphold our laws while continuing to provide our nation with safety and security.”

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