Chargers’ Sebastian Joseph-Day Claims He Was Sexually Assaulted by TSA at Airport

The defensive end detailed his account in a Twitter thread Friday.
Chargers’ Sebastian Joseph-Day Claims He Was Sexually Assaulted by TSA at Airport
Chargers’ Sebastian Joseph-Day Claims He Was Sexually Assaulted by TSA at Airport /
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Editor’s note: This story contains accounts of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or at https://www.rainn.org

Chargers defensive end Sebastian Joseph-Day claimed on Twitter that he was sexually assaulted by TSA personnel at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., on Friday.

In a Twitter thread posted Friday, Joseph-Day explained what happened to him during a TSA pre-flight security check, but he didn’t provide many specifics about the situation.

Here’s some of what he shared.

“I really just got sexually assaulted by TSA at @JohnWayneAir,” Joseph-Day wrote. “After I asked the gentleman to please stop BC I’m uncomfortable and I feel that this part of the check is unnecessary (After he felt what was needed). Then they told me I was the problem after 3 TSA agents swarmed me. 

“I’m all for people doing their job well. But it was extremely unnecessary and dehumanizing. I travel a lot, for personal and work reasons. I’ve never experienced anything like that @JohnWayneAir.”

John Wayne Airport has since replied to Joseph-Day’s accusations, expressing that his complaint would be forwarded to the TSA. The Chargers player alleged in his Twitter thread that he was having to “jump through hoops” to file a complaint.

In response to the airport’s comment, Joseph-Day said:

“It’s 1 thing if they apologized after my concerns, but the supervisor threatened to call the sheriff on me if I didn’t finish the search after I expressed I was just violated & told me to watch my mouth. I don’t think it’s just a TSA issue.”


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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.