A woman is suing American Airlines after she was groped by her seatmate on an overnight flight. She alleges AA knew her assailant had a “known history of predatory sexual misconduct” and that the airline tried to “victim-blame” her after the onboard assault.

American Airlines Sued After Woman Alleges Sexual Assault By Passenger With Known History

Barbara Morgan says she was attacked on an American Airlines flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Dallas (DFW) on April 24, 2024 by 55-year-old Cherian Abraham. During the redeye flight, she alleges Abraham touched her several times, including reaching between her legs, even after she yelled at him to stop.

She did not come forward during the flight and when she did after the plane landed in Dallas, she claims her story was dismissed and she was scolded by a gate agent for waiting to get help when she could have done so onboard. Why wait? Morgan says she was afraid of Abraham and also feared that the fight would be diverted if she spoke up.

Her lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, further alleges that American Airlines knew of Abraham’s proclivities due to prior accusations against him yet continued to let him fly, even on redeye flights like the SFO-DFW flight when the lights are turned down. According to her attorney:

“American’s decisions and actions directly led to her sexual assault, and then further traumatized her by ignoring her complaints after the attack. American Airlines allowed this predator to fly and to assault another woman after Barbara Morgan, until the FBI stepped in, and he was criminally charged.”

Morgan is claiming:

• Negligence against American Airlines
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress against American Airlines
• Fraudulent Concealment against American Airlines
• Sexual Battery against Cherian Abraham
• Gender Violence against American Airlines and Cherian Abraham
• Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress against Cherian Abraham
• Violations of the Bane Act against Cherian Abraham

(the Bane Act is a California law that forbids people from interfering with a person’s constitutional rights by force or threat of violence.)

Abraham was eventually arrested by the FBI (and banned from flying on American Airlines), but Morgan claims it was too late and she has suffered massive pain as a result. She claims American Airlines knew

As an aside, Abraham was not arrested for events stemming from the Morgan incident. Instead, he was arrested on March 18, 2025 for an incident that occurred on another American Airlines flight, AA2076 (between Savannah and Charlotte), where a 22-year-old woman claimed he groped her breasts. Twice.

A prior incident in 2023 also emerged, which is the basis for Morgan’s claim that AA knew or should have known that Abraham was a threat.

CONCLUSION

A woman is suing American Airlines and her alleged predator after being assaulted on an American Airlines redeye flight. She claims that AA should have banned this man after the first complaint against him in 2023, long before her flight in 2024.

What are your thoughts on this lawsuit?