Unfortunately, the TSA has the right to search anything and everyone inside the sterile area. You can refuse the search and request to be escorted out - if the cop demands you be searched, you can demand he get a warrant since you are choosing to leave the sterile area and not fly. It will get ugly, but you can always hire a lawyer to go after the cop after the fact.

I have to commend the OP - if the cop gave me that kind of attitude (you ask how high ) I would have likely lost my temper at that point and told him to pi** off.

Depending on how nasty you want to get, you could have interrupted his lecture by repeating 'am I under arrest', followed by 'am I free to go?' and kept repeating same until he gave legal cause for your detention. Giving you a lecture designed to cause embarrassment is not legal cause for a detention. He could, however, arrested you for disorderly, but then you would have a reasonable case to sue the cop and department.

Writing Delta is a waste. They have their nose so far up the TSA's behind, there isn't anything the TSA would do that Delta wouldn't support 100%.

I would write a fairly terse, yet factual complaint letter to the Airport Director, copying both the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center if you feel there was even a smidgen of a chance you were singled out because of your ethnic appearance. The Director will likely forward your letter to the FSD for comment and should remain in the loop until you get a response.

Did you get the cop's name? If so, I would copy the Airport Police Superindentant as well, providing the cop's name and commenting on his rude, threatening and unnecessarily obnoxious behavior along with pointing out that his detention of you to provide a clearly inappropriate lecture was outside the bounds of a legal detention and you may consider pursuing legal action. If you have the resources to do so, I suggest talking to your attorney about this. Having he/she send the letter on your behalf might stir things up a little more than you just sending it on your own.

Some of your key contacts are:

Department of Aviation
6000 North Terminal Parkway Suite 4000
Atlanta, GA 30320

Benjamin DeCosta
Aviation General Manager

Robert Kennedy
Assistant General Manager for Operations, Maintenance & Security

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Shawn Jones
Airport Police Commander
Atlanta Police Department
Airport Precinct
6000 North Terminal Pky
Atlanta, Georgia 30320