North Carolina mother Sues Transportation Security Administration over May 2019 incident at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. She claims that her transgender teenage son was forced by employees to go through a strip check.
Kimberly Erway filed a lawsuit against Jamii Erway. Jamii, then 15, was told to strip search her daughter after she had a false positive at security checkpoint. Following a brief exchange between the two, a TSA screening agent informed Jamii that she would need to have her genitals examined in a private area, according to the lawsuit.
TSA's transgender passenger webpage explains that when you enter the scanner, the TSA officer presses an icon to designate a gender (male/female) depending on your appearance. The webpage also states that the machine uses software that examines different anatomy. The machine scans the body and indicates any areas that need further inspection.
The Erways want a jury trial, unspecified damage and an injunction to prevent another similar situation from ever happening. Jane Doe, the agency supervisor is being sued by the mother.
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According to the lawsuit, Jamii was told by TSA employees that she could not leave until she submits to a search. This is a violation of TSA policy and Jamii's state law rights.
According to the lawsuit, Jamii refused to comply with a request from a police officer. This triggered panic, anxiety, fear and racing heart as well as shortness of breath.
Kimberly Erway rented a car to drive 600 miles from Rochester, New York to their home, in retaliation for the incident at the airport.
TSA spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday on the lawsuit, citing ongoing litigation.
Contributing to The Associated Press
This article first appeared on USA TODAY. TSA asks transgender teenager to strip at RDU. North Carolina mom sues
