CHICAGO- A veteran United Airlines (UA) flight attendant has filed a lawsuit against the carrier over what he describes as “false” allegations that he sexually assaulted a coworker and then stalked her during a layover at a hotel used by the carrier in London, England.
The crew member, identified as Antoine B. from New York, accused United Airlines of conducting a biased investigation following accusations made by a colleague on a route between Newark (EWR) and London Heathrow (LHR). He claims age and race discrimination played a role in the airline’s handling of his case.
United Flight Attendant Challenges Misconduct Investigation
Antoine B. had worked for United Airlines for 25 years when he unexpectedly received a written notice in December 2024 informing him that he was under investigation for alleged misconduct. He was in his mid-60s at the time of the allegation.
The long-serving crew member had little understanding of the allegations until a few minutes before he was pulled into an interview by management, who gave him limited time to review their investigative file.
During that interview, the flight attendant learned that a colleague on a flight from Newark to London Heathrow had accused him of touching her lower waist, stalking her at the layover hotel, and repeatedly touching her on the return flight to the United States.
Shocked by the allegations, Antoine B. reviewed the evidence United had compiled and found that no eyewitness statements from other flight attendants supported the claims. He insists that he never touched his accuser’s waist, stalked her, or engaged in inappropriate conduct.
He states that he worked at the back of the aircraft during both flights between Newark and London Heathrow and had very limited contact with his accuser.
According to PYOK, the only time he passed her was when he moved through the forward galley to address a customer service issue before taking a mid-flight break.
Antoine B. asked United to preserve video surveillance footage from the crew hotel that could help prove his innocence.
United refused to hand over the footage and did not confirm whether it had taken steps to obtain it.
As the investigation progressed, the accuser’s statements became increasingly detailed during her interactions with United’s investigators.
United Offered Disciplinary Deal
United Airlines offered Antoine B. a deal that required him to relinquish his contractual and legal rights to pursue claims over the allegations in exchange for a reduced disciplinary outcome. Refusing the offer would mean harsher discipline.
Antoine B. declined to waive his legal rights or admit to allegations he says he did not commit.
As a result, United issued him a Level 4 “Last Chance” discipline. He remains employed, but any future complaint, even a minor one, could end his career at the airline.
Bias and Discrimination
Filing his lawsuit in the district court for the Southern District of New York, Antoine B. described United’s investigation as “biased, one-sided, and conducted in bad faith.”
He believes his age influenced United’s attitude toward him. The complaint states: “Upon information and belief, older and minority flight attendants are disproportionately subjected to severe discipline without progressive corrective measures.”
Age Discrimination Claims
This is not the first time United has faced allegations that it discriminates against older employees and applies harsher discipline to its longer-serving workers.
In 2022, United was ordered to pay two veteran flight attendants more than $2 million in compensation after a federal appeals court agreed with a previous jury finding that the airline had fired them based on their age.
The two crew members had been accused of breaking United’s rules by watching a movie on an iPad while on duty during a flight. This led the airline to secretly place a supervisor on a flight to observe the pair.
During that observation flight, the supervisor claimed to have seen the flight attendants break several safety and service standards, including one of them vaping during the flight, sitting on metal galley boxes in violation of safety rules, and watching a video on an iPad together.
Facing possible termination, both flight attendants retired before the internal investigation was completed. They later filed a suit against United claiming age discrimination.
The basis of their complaint was not that they had followed the rules, but that their actions were “commonplace” and “minor,” and that similar conduct by younger flight attendants had not led to dismissal.
The two crew members had sought $1 million in compensation, but after United lost on appeal, the airline was ordered to pay double that amount.
Union Representation Also Under Scrutiny
Antoine B. has accused United of race and age discrimination, as well as retaliation.
The lawsuit also names the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA) for failing to provide him with adequate union representation during United’s investigation and for failing to appeal the airline’s punishment.
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