In July 2023, a couple from South Carolina, Tory and Brooke Brewer, experienced a disturbing incident involving their child’s Peppa Pig iPad during a flight with Delta Airlines. The family was traveling to London when their child accidentally left the iPad on the plane during a stopover at JFK Airport. Upon realizing the device was missing, the Brewers filed a lost-and-found report with Delta the following day. As time passed, they began receiving random messages about activity on the iPad, prompting them to use the “Find My” app, which tracked the device’s location to Jamaica, Queens, near the airport.
The situation escalated when the Brewers discovered that photos were being synced to Tory Brewer’s iCloud account. The first images were selfies of a man in a Delta uniform and name badge, raising alarm bells for the family. However, the situation turned significantly more unsettling when explicit videos showed the same man engaging in sexual acts while still in his uniform. This alarming breach led the Brewers to suspect that the device had been misappropriated by a Delta employee.
As the investigation unfolded, it was revealed that the individual had gained access to the Brewers’ iTunes account and even hacked their Amazon account, creating a profile labeled “Gay.” This troubling discovery was first made by one of the couple’s children. Their attempts to contact Delta for further assistance and clarity were met with automated emails indicating that the airline was “continuing to look for the iPad,” which the Brewers found insufficient given the severity of the situation.
In their ensuing lawsuit against the airline, the Brewers accused Delta of multiple offenses, including negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, harassment, and sexual assault, as they felt that the airline had failed to respond adequately to their escalating concerns. They sought both damages and accountability for Delta’s apparent lack of action in what they deemed a serious breach of trust and safety.
Delta Airlines issued a response acknowledging the lawsuit but clarified that the accused was not a direct employee of the airline, but rather a worker from a contracted vendor company. While the airline emphasized its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy toward illegal activities, they refrained from providing additional commentary on the ongoing legal proceedings. This response highlighted the complexities surrounding the accountability of contracted personnel within the airline industry.
The incident raised significant concerns about airport security and the responsibilities of airlines in protecting customer data and ensuring that employees, whether direct or contracted, adhere to safety and ethical standards. As the lawsuit progresses, it will undoubtedly spark discussions around the need for better oversight and training procedures to prevent situations like this in the future, reinforcing the importance of trust in the travel industry.
