Lawmakers Support Cabin Crew Training to Prevent Sexual Assault
Jackie Reddy November 01, 2016
In a letter to the FAA and DOJ, legislators expressed their deep concerns over the lack of oversight with regards to mid-air incidents of sexual harassment and assault.
A coalition of 23 senators from across the country have urged both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to improve the training of cabin crew so that they can identify and react to mid-air instances of sexual harassment and assault.
In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FAA Administrator Michael Peter Huerta, the senators said that they “are concerned with the apparent lack of standards” pertaining to sexual assaults on-board an aircraft.
The document, as shared by news channel KOIN 6, a CBS affiliate based in Portland, Oregon, raises particular concerns over what the signatories believe is an increased risk of sexual assaults for long-haul and overnight travelers.
The letter posits that those on overnight flights are especially vulnerable as there are, “extended periods where no flight attendants walk through the aircraft cabin, and many guests sleep before landing in a different time zone.”
The letter goes on to urge the FAA and DOJ to examine the prevalence of these incidents on-board commercial jetliners. It also implores the two agencies to establish best practice solutions to help cabin crew recognize and prevent sexual assaults.
It appears that the catalyst for the letter was an in-flight sexual assault that was reported by a member of the public to the office of one of the 23 signatory lawmakers.
During the incident, the unnamed passenger, who appears to have reported the assault to cabin crew, was at first moved from her original seat but was then asked to move back next to her attacker prior to landing.
The passenger refused and despite following up on the incident after landing, “was shocked to learn no report was filed” by the airline.
Incidents like these, the senators stated, are “troubling and unacceptable.” They added that “it is critical that no space be exempt from protection or devoid of support for survivors of sexual assault.”
The signatories concluded that “we must do all we can to ensure passengers’ rights and health are protected, flight crews are fully trained and equipped to handle sexual assaults.”
[Photo: American Airlines]
"During the incident, the unnamed passenger, who appears to have reported the assault to cabin crew, was at first moved from her original seat but was then asked to move back next to her attacker prior to landing." Whomever the crew member is that said move back to sit next to her attacker should be fired and banned from flying. That is such poor judgement that no second chance is warranted for the crew member. And there is no reason the attacker can't be found and prosecuted.