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Horizon Air faces lawsuit over alleged repeated sexual assaults by two pilots

Horizon Air faces lawsuit over alleged repeated sexual assaults by two pilots
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Sumit Singh Editorial Lead | Simple Flying

A Horizon Air flight attendant has filed a lawsuit against the airline, alleging that it failed to protect her from repeated sexual assault incidents involving two pilots. The plaintiff, identified as J.B., claims that the harassment occurred over a five-month period while she was new to the job.

The allegations first surfaced in December when J.B. reported her concerns to Horizon's human resources office. She raised the issue again in February but asserts that no protective action was taken by the airline. According to the lawsuit, one of the pilots sent inappropriate sexually explicit messages while on duty, and another pilot allegedly lured her into his hotel room in Portland and subjected her to non-consensual kissing and touching.

J.B.'s attorney, Michael Fuller, told The Oregonian that she is currently on unpaid leave and considering other employment options. "In light of Horizon Air’s mishandling of her reports of sexual assault, she doesn’t feel safe working there anymore," Fuller said.

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The lawsuit seeks unspecified non-economic and punitive damages from Horizon Air, which is a wholly-owned regional subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. It accuses the carrier of implying that J.B. encouraged the pilots' behavior and failing to reassign her work schedule to avoid further interactions with them.

J.B. also reported the incidents to the Portland Police Bureau in March and petitioned for a Sexual Abuse Protective Order (SAPO) against one of the pilots. An SAPO is designed under Oregon law to protect victims of sexual harassment or abuse from individuals who are not family or household members.

As of now, no criminal charges have been filed against the pilots involved, who continue their duties at Horizon Air.

Horizon operates a fleet of Embraer E175 regional jets across various routes on the West Coast, with some flights exceeding 1,400 miles in distance. Each aircraft accommodates 76 passengers and requires four crew members—two pilots and two flight attendants.

Efforts to reach an Alaska Airlines representative for comment were unsuccessful as of Sunday.

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