Passenger Pulled Out by US Pilot for Using Airplane Bathroom Too Long and Lowering Pants

Orthodox Jewish Passenger Dragged from Restroom by Pilot
Files Lawsuit Alleging Humiliation and Religious Discrimination

A United Airlines pilot forcibly removed an Orthodox Jewish passenger who had been using the restroom for an extended period during a flight, sparking controversy. The passenger, whose genitals were exposed due to the pilot's actions, has filed a lawsuit against the airline and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

According to the Associated Press and other sources on the 23rd (local time), the incident occurred on January 28th aboard a flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston, USA. At the time, Israeli Leib, an Orthodox Jewish believer from New Jersey, was traveling with his companion Jacob Sebag.

According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Leib was in the airplane's rear restroom for about 20 minutes. The flight attendants woke Sebag, who was sleeping, and asked him to check on Leib's condition. Leib told Sebag that he was constipated and said, "I will finish soon and come out." Sebag relayed Leib's message to the flight attendants.

AFP Yonhap News

However, after another 10 minutes, the pilot approached Sebag and demanded again that he check on Leib. Then the pilot shouted at Leib, "Come out of the restroom immediately." Leib told the pilot, "I am in the final stage and will come out soon," but the angry pilot broke the lock and forcibly opened the restroom door to pull Leib out. Leib was dragged out with his pants down to his ankles, which forced him to expose his genitals to Sebag, the flight attendants, and passengers seated near the restroom, causing him great humiliation.

The complaint also states that "while Sebag was leading Leib, the pilot repeatedly pushed the two toward their seats, threatened to arrest them, and made disparaging remarks about Judaism and Jewish behavior."

Leib and Sebag claimed that as soon as the plane landed, six officers from the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, entered the cabin and handcuffed them before escorting them off the plane. They were detained in a holding cell and missed their connecting flight to New York after being searched. United Airlines rebooked their flight to New York departing the next day. However, they stated that they received no compensation for hotel and meal expenses incurred during their one-day stay.

CBP spokesperson Hilton Beckham said, "We responded to a disturbance that occurred during the flight at the airline's request," adding, "Since this is currently under litigation, we cannot provide further comments." United Airlines declined to comment on the incident.