I have no problem believing it happened, and I am truly outraged that it was done by the TSA - the ACLU needs to be on this fast! Are body-cavity searches part of the 'secret' TSA SOP that no one is suppose to know about? What authority is granted the TSA or law enforcement to hold someone for a search if they refuse one?

In another thread I mentioned the experience of a friend of mine at ATL a number of years ago (well pre-9/11). Upon checking in at the DL counter for a reserved-but-not-paid one-way ticket, the agent refused the credit card because of the limited time to departure and insisted on cash (the fare was only $75). When my friend paid cash, she picked up the phone and called the ATL police who took him away to a back room, illegally searched his bags and performed a strip-search (including a cavity exam) before escorting him to the plane. I was so enraged, I wouldn't quit hollering until he agreed to hire a lawyer. The lawyer was too much of a chicken-sh$$ to sue the police, but he did sue Delta, and the issue was settled out of court.

This type of activity has been going on for a long time - about the only thing that allows it to continue is the submissive behavior of its victims. People need to learn to say "no!".

I call upon the ACLU to begin gathering data on this activity and prepare the appropriate legal challenges, and I would also like to ask Joe Sharkey to begin looking into this for a potential report in the NYT.