OFFICER WHO DETAINED DR. DAVID DAO SUES UNITED AIRLINES
May 28, 2018
An aviation security officer who was fired after “forcibly dragging” passenger Dr. David Dao from a United Airlines (United) aircraft last year has sued the airline and the city of Chicago. The security officer has claimed that he was not “properly trained to deal with such a situation” and that he was defamed after the incident became a national news sensation.
The lawsuit, filed on April 10, 2018, seeks more than $150,000 in damages. The Complaint states that “[b]ut for the [Chicago Department of Aviation’s] negligence and failure to train [the plaintiff] how to respond to an escalating situation with an airline passenger, [he] would not have acted in the manner he did, which resulted in his termination….” The plaintiff also alleges that he was defamed on social media and in the press because those stories often omitted important facts about the plaintiff’s actions which were “intentionally misleading” and had “the direct intention to harm” the plaintiff.
The City of Chicago and United have not yet made official comments about the lawsuit. Dr. Dao also previously sued the airline, but the lawsuit was settled out of court and the terms of that settlement are confidential.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6622) or Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com, 202-659-6665).
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