American Airlines flight attendants falsely accuse father of trafficking his 13-year-old daughter

A man who was flying with his 13-year-old daughter from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this month says flight attendants approached his daughter while he was using the bathroom.

Francisco De Jesus said attendants gave his daughter wings and asked her if she was okay, where she was going, and who she planned to meet, King 5 News reported. When they landed in Charlotte, De Jesus was approached by the airport’s head of security.

“At that point, my heart just sank,” De Jesus said, adding officials told him that the attendants were trained to look for human trafficking. After being questioned, De Jesus was allowed to go on his way.

When De Jesus contacted American Airlines for an explanation, he didn’t get a response at first.

“My question that I would like to have answered is how did they get to label me as a human trafficker? I had my iPad; we were watching a movie. She had her phone. I mean, these are things that I thought a dad and a daughter traveling do,” he told King 5.

Speaking to King 5, the airline said “frontline team members are trained to navigate a variety of safety issues, including recognizing the potential signs of human trafficking. We strive to create a positive, welcoming environment for everyone who travels with us and apologize for any misunderstanding that may have occurred.”

 

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.