Report: LI Flight Attendant Suing American Airlines Over Bizarre Accusations
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- A Long Island flight attendant is suing American Airlines for unspecified damages, the New York Post reported.
Louann Giambattista, 55, claims that allegations made against her by three colleagues have turned her life upside down.
Giambattista claims that colleagues accused her of boarding a plane with pet rats hiding in her underwear, according to the lawsuit, the Post reported.
Witnesses, including a pilot, apparently reported that Giambattista had a live pet in her pocket, among other places, prior to and during a flight from St. Martin to Miami in February according to papers filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.
According to a published report, a coworker accused Giambattista of feeding her alleged pets a dinner roll during a flight. Giambattista claims that the roll was for herself.
When the flight landed in Florida, Giambattista was apparently questioned and searched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. No animals were found on Giambattista or her luggage, but a flag was placed on her passport, the Post reported.
Giambattista claims that the series of searches and interrogations left her with 'symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and debilitating anxiety', according to the Post.
Giambattista is an admitted animal lover but her attorney, Stephen Morelli, told the Post that the claims against her are 'preposterous'.
"Everybody has pets, she has pets at her home, not at work. She's not a nut," he said.
American Airlines said that it would respond to the claims in court.
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