A Georgia dad is suing Delta Airlines after he claims a flight attendant slapped him in the face during an altercation provoked by a simple request for his family to be served water — a move his lawyer claims was pure prejudice.
Mohammad Shibli and his wife, 4-year-old son, and 2-year-old son were on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Fresno, California, on July 29 when his youngest son began crying for water, Shibli and his legal team said during a news conference Tuesday.
When the plane took off and flight attendants made their rounds offering refreshments to passengers, the accused attendant allegedly refused to serve Shibli’s wife, he told reporters.
Shibli then got up and went to the back area of the plane to request water, but the same flight attendant allegedly refused again, using a “very disrespectful tone” with him, he said.
Shibli successfully got water from other attendants, who apologized for their coworker, the dad alleged.
Despite the apologies, the situation quickly escalated.
Attendants began making rounds again later in the flight, and when the accused attendant finally came to ask if Shibli wanted water, the father refused her service and asked to be left alone.
“She then asked if I wanted the police to meet me at the gate, insinuating that she was going to have me arrested. I asked her, ‘For what?’ She just ignored me and continued her service,” Shibli said at a news conference beside his legal team on Tuesday.
“As she walked back and forth to serve other passengers, she bumped into me with her body. I tried to ignore it, but the passenger in my row, whom I had never met before, could tell that the Delta attendant was provoking me,” he told reporters.
The other passenger even asked Shibli, “What’s her deal?” he said.
The flight attendant then allegedly whispered a vulgar word into Shibli’s ear — prompting him to stand up and launch a few retaliatory curse words at her after he felt he was being berated in front of his son, Shibli claimed.
The attendant then took a few steps toward Shibli and struck his face with “open palm as hard as she could,” Shibli said.
“I was pleading to other flight attendants that I was just assaulted,” he said.
“To my surprise, the Delta attendant continued to serve other passengers and acted like nothing happened,” he said.
Other attendants eventually came to tell the agitated attendant to sit in the back of the plane.
“I was trapped on that plane for almost four hours. It was painful and embarrassing. As a father, I looked helpless in front of my son. As a husband, I was humiliated. And as a passenger, I feared for the safety and security for myself and for my family,” Shibli told reporters.
“Nobody should ever experience physical abuse like this, especially on a plane mid-air,” Shibli said.
His lawyer, Ali Awad, claimed the incident was triggered by Shibli’s wife’s shirt, which had the word “Palestine” on it.
The lawyer went on to cite an alleged incident of discrimination by the airline against Palestinians, when last July an X user posted two photos of Delta flight attendants wearing Palestinian flag pins, which were incorrectly described as “Hamas badges,” during the flights — prompting a response from the airline.
“I hear you as I’d be terrified as well, personally,” the airline wrote in a post. “Our employees reflect our culture and we do not take it lightly when our policy is not being followed.”
The Delta account took down the post the following day and demoted the worker who posted it.
“Delta removed a mistakenly posted comment on X on Wednesday because it was not in line with our values and our mission to connect the world,” the airline told The Post in a statement.
“The team member responsible for the post has been counseled and no longer supports Delta’s social channels. We apologize for this error.”
Still, Awad claimed the incident reflected a pattern of discrimination and violence by Delta, referencing prior alleged transgressions by employees.
“Is this a single isolated incident? Or is it one, a pattern of clear discrimination against Palestinians? Two, a history of physical violence from Delta employees? And three, negligent hiring?” Awad said.
The attorney then went on to describe the damages Shibli’s team has sought against Delta Airlines in the lawsuit.
“Every Delta employee in the company must get education and sensitivity training on Palestine,” Awad said in one demand.
“Delta ruined my client’s day, and Delta, we demand a day of your profits,” Awad said.
Delta confirmed to local outlet 11Alive that the flight attendant has since been suspended amid an ongoing internal investigation into the incident.
The airline did not respond to The Post’s request for comment by the time of publication.
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