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A Delta passenger is taking legal action after claiming a flight attendant struck him across the face during a trip from Atlanta to Fresno, prompting calls for extra "sensitivity training" among staff.
Mohammad Shibli was traveling with his wife and two young children to attend a wedding when the confrontation happened.
According to Shibli, the dispute began when he and his wife asked for water for their two-year-old son, who was crying. The request was refused because the drinks cart had not reached their row.
Dispute escalated mid-flight
When the attendant later asked if he wanted anything, Shibli declined, explaining he had already been given water by another crew member. He said the attendant continued pressing, prompting him to tell her to “leave me alone.”
“She then asked if I wanted the police to meet me at the gate, insinuating that she was going to have me arrested,” Shibli said.
He recalled that she later bumped into him, drawing the attention of a fellow passenger. He added that she then “leaned closer to my ear and whispered a very vulgar word.” When he stood up and responded, “the Delta attendant took a few steps toward me and struck me with an open palm as hard as she could.”
A traveler seated nearby provided a statement supporting Shibli’s account, saying they heard “a very loud ‘smack’ sound” despite wearing noise-canceling headphones.
Lawsuit calls for training and damages
Shibli said the slap left him feeling “helpless” in front of his son as the family endured another four hours in the air. “No one should ever experience physical abuse like this, especially on a plane mid-air with nowhere to go for four hours,” he said.
He added that law enforcement officers were seen speaking to the crew member after landing, though he did not know if she was arrested or charged. Delta said the employee has been suspended while the company investigates.
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Shibli's lawyer linked the incident to a controversy last summer involving Delta employees wearing Palestinian flag pins. After criticism, the airline restricted staff to US flag pins. Awad noted that Shibli’s wife had been wearing a shirt with the word “Palestine” during the flight.
The lawsuit will seek “education and sensitivity training on Palestine” for all Delta employees and a day’s worth of the airline’s profits for Shibli. The lawyer estimated that daily profits exceed $20million.
“This case is not about a slap. This case is about everything that Delta has done, and continues to do, exhibiting a pattern of recklessness and negligent behavior within their company,” said Shibli's legal representative.
A Delta spokesperson commented: “While Delta does not comment on internal investigations or pending litigation, we are taking this situation very seriously. This flight attendant has been suspended while the investigation is ongoing.”
