United Airlines pilot faces lawsuit after allegedly attacking passenger over bathroom delay

An Orthodox Jewish passenger has filed a federal lawsuit in the United States following an incident aboard a United Airlines flight. Yisroel Liebb claims he was forcibly removed from the bathroom by the airline’s pilot while suffering from constipation. The incident reportedly occurred on a flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston, Texas. The case, filed in a federal court in Manhattan, also names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

According to the complaint, upon landing in Houston, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents boarded the plane, handcuffed both Yisroel Liebb and his travel companion, Jacob Sebbag, and took them to a detention area at the airport. As a result, they missed their scheduled connecting flight to New York.

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United Airlines pilot gets lawsuit attacking a passenger

The lawsuit claims that Liebb had been in the bathroom for 20 minutes due to his intestinal issues. Concerned about the delay, a flight attendant allegedly woke Jacob Sebbag to check on him. After confirming that Liebb would be out soon, the United Airlines crew was notified of the situation. Ten minutes later, the United pilot approached Sebbag, asking him to check on Liebb again.

The captain then shouted at Liebb to exit the bathroom immediately. When Liebb responded that he was finishing up, the door lock was broken, and the pilot forced entry into the bathroom. The passenger was reportedly dragged out of the bathroom with his pants still down.

Passengers got detained after landing in Houston

Following the incident on the plane, CBP agents boarded the aircraft upon landing in Houston and escorted Liebb and Sebbag off the plane. According to the complaint, both men were handcuffed and taken to holding cells while their luggage was searched.

When Liebb asked why they were detained, one of the agents allegedly tightened the handcuffs and responded, "This is not a county or a state. We are the homeland. You have no rights here."

After several hours, both men were released, and United Airlines provided them with tickets for a flight to New York scheduled for the following day. However, due to the delay, the costs of hotel and food expenses wiped out any savings from the complimentary tickets.

As of now, United Airlines has not commented on the lawsuit. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the CBP agents intervened in response to a reported disturbance during the flight.