CHICAGO- A former flight attendant for United Airlines (UA) has filed a lawsuit against the carrier, alleging the airline failed to protect her from sexual harassment and revenge porn perpetrated by her ex-boyfriend, a United Airlines pilot.
Filed in a Colorado district court (DEN), the suit accuses United of negligence and maintaining a hostile work environment after the pilot shared explicit images of her without consent, causing severe emotional trauma and forcing her to leave her job.
United Airlines Ex-Attendant Files Lawsuit
The lawsuit stems from a years-long ordeal involving Andrew Hill, a 37-year-old United Airlines pilot who was criminally charged in 2024 with distributing intimate images, harassment, stalking, and online impersonation.
According to PYOK, Hill pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts after investigators found he had secretly recorded and shared explicit videos and photos of his ex-girlfriend—also a United flight attendant—as well as at least ten other women, including airline employees.
The victim, who joined United in 2015, began a relationship with Hill after meeting him on a flight the following year. What began consensually soon turned abusive. Hill allegedly pressured her to send explicit material, recorded their encounters without consent during layovers, and later distributed these images online.
When she confronted him in 2017, Hill promised to delete the material, but the harassment escalated after their breakup in 2021.
The victim reported that he stalked her, sent harassing messages, and continued uploading explicit content to multiple websites.
A Utah police investigation confirmed her claims and uncovered that several other women had been targeted.
Alleged Negligence by United Airlines
The civil complaint asserts that United Airlines failed to act even after being alerted to Hill’s conduct. Despite a search warrant served in April 2024 for Hill’s employment records, United did not suspend him until July, after his arrest.
The plaintiff argues the company’s inaction allowed Hill to continue harassing employees and that United’s leadership “created and maintained a hostile work environment.”
The lawsuit also points to a prior 2011 incident involving another United pilot accused of posting revenge porn, claiming the airline failed to learn from past mistakes.
The complaint alleges that United has long lacked adequate sexual harassment prevention training for flight crews, a point reinforced by Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson, who publicly stated in 2019 that no such training had been provided.
The case, filed under Colorado District Court case number 1:25-cv-03403, could test how airlines are held responsible for workplace harassment involving off-duty behavior.
The plaintiff’s legal team argues that United’s corporate culture and lack of protective protocols left employees vulnerable to misconduct by pilots in positions of authority.
Similar Incident
A United Airlines (UA) flight attendant is taking the carrier to court, claiming she was wrongfully terminated in 2022 for absences linked to Crohn’s disease. A federal judge has ruled that her disability discrimination lawsuit against United can move forward to trial.
The case questions whether United Airlines failed to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the crew member based at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
Court Allows ADA Lawsuit Against United
The lawsuit centers on a long-serving United Airlines (UA) flight attendant who began her career in 1999 and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2010. For more than a decade, she managed her health using Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions, which allowed time off during medical flare-ups.
When she returned to work after the COVID-19 furlough in 2022, she no longer met the eligibility hours for FMLA leave. As her condition caused intermittent absences, these were recorded as attendance “points” under United’s internal performance system.
Once her total neared the threshold for termination, she faced increasing pressure to maintain perfect attendance despite her chronic illness.
Her doctor later missed a submission deadline for updated medical documentation, and that absence was penalized, pushing her past the limit. United Airlines terminated her employment in June 2022, citing dependability as an essential requirement for flight attendants.
United sought to have the lawsuit dismissed, arguing that reliable attendance is critical to flight safety and scheduling. However, the federal judge rejected this motion, ruling that the flight attendant’s claims of disability discrimination, retaliation, and failure to accommodate could proceed to trial.
Legal experts note that the court’s decision does not determine guilt but allows a jury to assess whether United acted lawfully. The outcome could influence how U.S. airlines handle chronic illness-related absences in future labor policies.
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