ATLANTA (CN) — A Georgia couple claims in court that a Frontier Airlines flight attendant threatened them with "spiritual warfare" during a 2015 trip after an altercation over one of the passenger's bags.
In a complaint filed in Gwinnett County Superior Court on June 15, passengers Nicole Westmoreland and Mark Morse claim that they endured multiple threats from flight attendants during a flight from Las Vegas, Nev. to Orlando, Fla., before they were removed from the plane by police at their destination.
The passengers say the problems began when a Frontier flight attendant confronted Westmoreland over the storage of her purse.
"Defendant Frontier's servant became irate and indignant," the complaint says. "[The flight attendant] stated that the plane may 'crash' and she wanted to get something 'off her chest.' She said ... that she was 'sick of people like' plaintiffs. [She] then began to make references to 'spiritual warfare' and that anyone who would 'hurt her' would be doomed."
Westmoreland and Morse say that they "became apprehensive as to the mental stability" of Frontier's flight attendants and began to fear for their safety after the employee continued to "utter 'spiritual' threats."
Shortly after takeoff, the two passengers say they witnessed a fellow passenger collapse and fall to the floor of the airplane. According to the complaint, Frontier's flight attendants ignored the passenger and attempted to block a doctor's efforts to help. Later, Frontier's employees allegedly threatened to have Morse arrested for recording the incident on his phone and "laugh[ed] in a manner ... observed to be inconsistent with the emergent nature of the situation."
When the flight finally landed in Orlando, local police officers boarded the airplane and allegedly took Westmoreland and Morse into custody to await the arrival of the FBI Anti-Terrorist Unit. According to the complaint, the flight attendants laughed as the passengers were detained.
The complaint says that FBI agents told the passengers that they were being detained for "interfer[ing] with a medical emergency." At this point, Morse became concerned that he might be transported to Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp "where he could be detained incognito indefinitely."
The complaint states that the passengers were released after law enforcement determined that the allegations made by Frontier's employees were "frivolous."
A representative for Frontier Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Westmoreland and Morse seek unspecified damages for false arrest, false imprisonment and emotional and verbal abuse.
The passengers are represented by Theodore Lackland of Marietta, Georgia.
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