A United Airlines passenger has claimed he was forcibly removed from a flight after he spent too long in the bathroom with constipation.
The flight, travelling from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston, saw Yisroel Liebb, from New Jersey, claiming that he was forced off the plane in handcuffs once it had landed.
Liebb said he and his fellow passenger, Jacob Sebbag, ended up missing a connecting flight due to the issue, alleging they were escorted through the terminal and then placed in a holding cell.
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday (March 19), Liebb said he had been in the plane toilet for around 20 minutes when Sebbag was awoken from a nap by a crew member and asked to check on him.
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Liebb says he explained he was experiencing constipation, and told his friend he would be out soon.
According to the lawsuit, 10 minutes later, Liebb was asked to leave the bathroom immediately by the pilot.
He apparently told the pilot he would be out soon, but the pilot allegedly broke the lock, forced the door and removed Liebb with his pants still down.
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The incident meant Liebb's genitals were allegedly exposed to fellow passengers and crew.
“The pilot became visibly enraged, broke the lock on the door and forced the door to the bathroom open, pulling Liebb out of the bathroom with his pants still around his ankles, exposing his genitalia to Sebbag, several flight attendants, and the nearby passengers on the plane,” the lawsuit said.
“With Sebbag leading Liebb, the pilot proceeded to repeatedly push the [two] back to their seats while making threats of getting [them] arrested and making scathing remarks about their Judaism, and how ‘Jews act’."
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Meanwhile, Liebb said he felt 'sexually violated and embarrassed after having been publicly exposed in the nude'.
Once the two-hour flight had landed in Houston, the men claimed that around six Customs and Border Protection officers escorted them off the plane.
Although United Airlines booked a new flight for them the next day, they claim they lost out financially due to the hotel stay they had to pay for during their delay.
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The pair have said they suffered 'severe wrist pain' from the handcuffs which continued for days.
“CBP Officers responded to reports of a disturbance on a flight at the request of the airline,” said Hilton Beckham, the CBP assistant commissioner for public affairs.
“Due to the ongoing litigation, we are unable to provide any further comment.”
UNILAD has contacted United Airlines and the CBP for comment.
Lucy Devine