American Airlines drops law firm that says 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge that a 9-year-old girl was negligent in failing to notice a taped-up camera phone on the toilet seat of an airplane.

An airline spokesperson confirmed Friday that the law firm Wilson Elser is no longer defending American in a lawsuit filed by the girl’s family.

American retained the services of Kelly Hart & Hallman, a Fort Worth-based firm that has done extensive work for American in other areas.

The change in attorneys came after Wilson Elser said in a court document that any harm caused to the girl could be attributed to her “fault and negligence” for using the restroom, “which she knew or should have known that ‘they contained a visible and illuminated recording device.’ »

A former US flight attendant is accused of tricking girls into using the toilet after sticking his iPhone on the toilet seat and explaining the seat was broken. Estes Carter Thompson III, who was fired by the Americans, pleaded not guilty this week to attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse images.

The 9-year-old girl’s family sued American in state court in Austin, Texas, after the FBI told them videos of the girl were found on the flight attendant’s phone.

“With this new legal representation, we hope that American Airlines will now take a fresh look at the case and finally take some responsibility for what happened to our client,” said Paul Llewellyn, the family’s attorney. the girl.

Llewellyn also represents the family of a 14-year-old who is suing American in federal court in North Carolina for the alleged actions of the same flight attendant.

Wilson Elser did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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