A passenger on a United Airlines flight has reported being forcibly removed from the aircraft due to spending an extended time in the bathroom because of constipation.
The incident occurred on a flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston. Yisroel Liebb from New Jersey claims he was taken off the plane in handcuffs once it arrived at its destination.
Liebb stated that both he and his fellow traveler, Jacob Sebbag, missed a connecting flight because of the situation. They allege they were escorted through the terminal and held in a cell.
According to a lawsuit filed on Wednesday (March 19), Liebb was using the plane’s lavatory for about 20 minutes when a crew member awakened Sebbag from a nap to check on him.
Liebb explained to his friend that he was dealing with constipation and would exit soon.
The lawsuit claims that 10 minutes afterward, the pilot demanded Liebb to exit the bathroom immediately.
Liebb reportedly informed the pilot he needed a little more time, but the pilot allegedly forced open the door, removing Liebb with his pants still down.
This reportedly led to Liebb’s genitals being exposed to passengers and crew members.
“The pilot became visibly enraged, broke the lock on the door and forced the door to the bathroom open, pulling Liebb out of the bathroom with his pants still around his ankles, exposing his genitalia to Sebbag, several flight attendants, and the nearby passengers on the plane,” the lawsuit stated.
“With Sebbag leading Liebb, the pilot proceeded to repeatedly push the [two] back to their seats while making threats of getting [them] arrested and making scathing remarks about their Judaism, and how ‘Jews act’.”
Liebb expressed feeling ‘sexually violated and embarrassed after having been publicly exposed in the nude’.
After the two-hour flight landed in Houston, the men reported that approximately six Customs and Border Protection officers accompanied them off the plane.
Though United Airlines arranged a new flight for the following day, the men claim they incurred financial losses due to the hotel expenses during their delay.
They also reported enduring ‘severe wrist pain’ from the handcuffs that persisted for several days.
“CBP Officers responded to reports of a disturbance on a flight at the request of the airline,” stated Hilton Beckham, the CBP assistant commissioner for public affairs.
“Due to the ongoing litigation, we are unable to provide any further comment.”