Getting paid to travel to exotic locations around the world is a dream come true for most people, which is why many airline employees and flight attendants are initially attracted to the job. However, the job isn’t as glamorous or easy as it seems.
In May 2018, three female JetBlue Airways employees were enjoying an overnight layover in Puerto Rico before making their way home to the United States the next day. However, that night in paradise ended up becoming a living nightmare for the women after encountering two JetBlue pilots. Now, the women are suing the airline for failing to protect them after they reported the incident…
The Layover
On May 9, 2018, three female JetBlue Airways employees checked into the Intercontinental Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The JetBlue employees were on a layover and were only planning to stay in Puerto Rico for the night as they were scheduled to work on a flight returning to the United States the next day.
One Night In San Juan
While their stay in San Juan was going to be short, they all decided to take advantage of the layover and the nice weather. So after checking into their hotel rooms, the three young women made their way to the beach, which was right in front of their beach-front hotel.
Hitting The Beach
The women, whose names have not been released to the public, found a spot on the beach and set up their beach chairs.“Plaintiff, along with crewmembers Doe # 2 and the other crew-member, arrived at the beach, found some chairs and set up camp, where they schmoozed,” a lawsuit filed in March of 2019 explained.
Friendly Neighbors
According to the lawsuit, which was filed by two of the three female JetBlue employees, the women then relaxed by having some drinks that they prepared. At that point, the women noticed two American men sitting nearby and started talking to the pair.
The JetBlue Pilots
The two men, Dan Watson, and Eric Johnson, introduced themselves to the three women. While they were talking, Watson and Johnson told the girls they were actually JetBlue employees as well and worked as pilots for the commercial airline.
The Drinks
“Plaintiff, along with Doe # 2 and the other crewmember noticed two men, Defendants Johnson and Watson, sitting near them and noticed they were pulling beers out of a lunch bag,” said the lawsuit, which refers to the two women as Jane Doe # 1 and Jane Doe # 2 to protect their identity.
A Turning Point
At some point, the men offered the women some of their beers, which they also pulled out from a lunch bag. The women accepted the drinks, however, it wasn’t long after they started drinking the beers that they started to feel unwell and the rest of the night became a blur.
Traumatizing Memories
“Plaintiff Doe # 1 did not remember when or how, but the group left the beach and headed back to the hotel,” the lawsuit said. The women now believe the beers they accepted from Johnson and Watson had been drugged and the few memories they have from that night have left them traumatized.
The Attack
“Plaintiff, in a haze from being drugged, next became aware that she was in bed with Defendant JOHNSON and her fellow crewmember,” the suit says. According to Jane Doe # 1, who is from Riverton, Utah, she was aware of what was happening but was unable to react because of the drug.
Unable To Fight Back
“Johnson was on top of [Jane Doe 1] raping her,” the lawsuit says about the moment the woman realized she was being raped but couldn’t fight back. “[Jane Doe 1] felt the influence of the drug that [Johnson] laced the beer with, and was unable to react to the situation, but was simply aware that it was happening.”
The Other Victim
“[Her] flashes of memory included Johnson having sexual intercourse with the other crewmember who was also under the influence of the drugs,” the lawsuit explains. Jane Doe # 2, who is from Fort Worth, Texas, corroborated the account of the night and believes the men also intended to rape her.
A Bad Reaction
However, according to Jane Doe # 2, the drug that had been put in her drink had made her sick. “Plaintiff DOE # 2 vomited a number of times throughout the night and was generally sick from the drugs,” the lawsuit said. While unpleasant, the vomiting ended up being the thing that saved her from being raped.
A ‘Turnoff’
“It is alleged that the two men wanted to rape the Jane Doe #2 but didn’t because the vomiting was a ‘turnoff.’,” the lawsuit said. However, the men allegedly still assaulted and battered Jane Doe # 2 while she was incapacitated as a result of being drugged.
A Sick Fantasy
Then at the end of the nightmare sexual assault, Jane Doe # 1 remembered Johnson allegedly say ‘thank you for making my fantasy come true.’ The next morning, the women woke up and were horrified by the memories they had from the night before.
The Next Morning
The women all felt groggy and nauseous, but they had to work a flight from Puerto Rico back to Newark Airport in New Jersey. After collecting themselves, the women arrived at the airport to report for work. During that flight, the women were so unwell that they all got sick while trying to work.
Classic Symptoms
“Each had to use the bathroom to vomit, an effect they had not felt before despite having consumed alcohol previously,” the lawsuit said. “The three [women] then looked up the symptoms of rape drugs and found their symptoms were consistent with having been drugged,” the complaint explained.
Seeking Help
“They all began feeling those symptoms and effects right after drinking from the Defendants’ beer, which further confirmed that they had been drugged by Defendants JOHNSON and WATSON,” said the lawsuit. The next day, on May 11, Jane Doe # 1 finally returned home from the trip and immediately went to the hospital.
The STD
While at the hospital, she told doctors and nurses what happened and asked to be tested for drugs and any STDs. When test results came back, it showed Doe # 1 had contracted HPV, which she believes she got during the sexual assault as she had been tested prior to the event and was STD free.
Reporting The Attack
In the wake of the assault, Jane Doe # 1 reported the attack to JetBlue. However, “no corrective action was ever taken against Defendants,” the lawsuit said. As a result, two of the women involved in the attack filed a lawsuit against the airline, who they no longer work for, in the Eastern District of New York.
The Lawsuit
JetBlue is being sued for “unlawful employment practices” as well as “sex discrimination, gender discrimination, and a hostile work environment.” Both women are suing for at least $75,000 each plus attorney’s fees. “What happened to my clients is truly horrific, and Jet Blue’s failure to take appropriate action is appalling,’ Abraham Melamed, the women’s attorney, said in a statement.
JetBlue Silent After Two Pilots Were Accused Of Assaulting Female Airline Workers is an article from: LifeDaily