Report: NFL Player Suing United Airlines for Alleged Sexual Assault and Harassment on Flight

An unidentified NFL player alleges that United Airlines failed to take quick action when a female sexually assaulted and harassed him on a Feb. 10 flight.

An unidentified NFL player is suing United Airlines and alleging that he was sexually assaulted and harassed by a woman on a recent flight, according to Bleacher Report's Master Tesfatsion. 

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, Calif, claims United Airlines did not respond adequately during the flight and did not cooperate with authorities. 

The incident reportedly took place on Feb. 10 on a redeye flight from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J. The player, who was wearing a face mask, claims a female on the flight made "multiple unwanted sexual advances" towards him and questioned the mask on his face. After stating he was wearing it for COVID-19 concerns, she said he looked "frightening."

Flight attendants did not move the female until a fourth complaint was made by the player. Her actions reportedly escalated to ripping off the player's face mask and grabbing his penis. The player claims the female was intoxicated and taking prescription pills at the time of the incident. 

In the lawsuit, the NFL player is identified as "John Doe 1" with another man from his row on the flight, "John Doe 2," making similar claims. Both men are described as African American. The woman is a "middle-aged Caucasian female." 

In a statement from the player's attorneys, Darren Darwish and Benji Azizian, they say the instances "could have been prevented, if not harm reduced" had United Airlines taken quicker action. The goal of the lawsuit is to "shine a light on how assaults can, and are, being made on men, and not just women."

The NFL player, who does not wish for his name to be released, is seeking "compensatory and punitive damages" alongside "John Doe 2" in the lawsuit.