TSA sued for injuring, jailing disabled teen
The Transportation Security Administration faces a lawsuit from the family of a disabled 19-year-old woman following her聽rough treatment and arrest during a聽security screening last year at Memphis International Airport.
On June 30, 2015,聽Hannah Cohen and her mother, Shirley Cohen, were聽headed home to Chattanooga, Tenn., to celebrate the completion of a medical treatment, when聽Hannah set off the metal detector's alarm and was pulled aside for additional screening. According to the lawsuit, Hannah, whose disability limits her ability to "speak, walk, stand, see, hear, care for herself, learn and work, think, concentrate, and interact with others," became "disoriented and confused," at the warning alarm and the TSA personnel's response.
鈥淪he was trying to get away from them, but in the next instant, one of them and hit her head on the floor.鈥� Shirley Cohen told WREG-TV in an interview. The badly hurt and bruised Hannah was arrested on allegations that she hit an officer on the shoulder, chest, and face, and spent the night in jail, but the charges were dismissed, according to the lawsuit.
The suit against the TSA and the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority is for a 鈥渞easonable sum not exceeding $100,000 and costs鈥� for 鈥渃ausing 鈥β犅燼s well as emotional injury鈥� to Shirley Cohen.
The lawsuit alleges that officers and security agents discriminated based on Hannah Cohen鈥檚 ability. The TSA did not properly accommodate Cohen and her mother, the lawsuit states.
A ,聽opened this past February, might prepare future TSA agents to respond to passengers with special needs.
Traditional training, before the academy, consisted mostly of learning about different security scenarios from pictures. In the new facility, however, the trainers 鈥済et someone who is a little closer to being 鈥� to work, TSA administrator and , Peter Neffenger told The Hill.
But training may not go into depth about responding sensitively to people with different needs. Officers go through a two-week course with 鈥渉ands-on practicums鈥� with real TSA equipment. Lessons on the TSA鈥檚 history and mission are also part of the training, but Mr.聽Neffenger聽did not note any instruction on human relations. After the agency failed security tests, security savvy and alertness has been a major priority.
A more balanced view of security, such as that which , may make future searches smoother.
