TSA Is Facing Just A Tiny Bit Of Backlash For Battering A Partially Deaf, Partially Blind, Fully Handicapped Woman

Metro-  A disabled teenager on the way home following treatment for a brain tumour was slammed to the floor and left bloodied and bruised by airport security staff, a lawsuit filed by her family claims.

Hannah Cohen, who is partially deaf, paralysed and blind in one eye, was heading for Chattanooga from Memphis, Tennessee when she set off a security alarm at an airport checkpoint, reports the Huffington Post.

Hannah, 18, became disorientated by the alarm and attempts by the TSA to search her, the lawsuit claims. Security staff reportedly threw her to the ground, leading her to hit her head.

‘The security personnel failed to recognise that she was confused because of her obvious disability and was unable to cooperate with the search,’ said Hannah’s lawyers, Kelly Pearson and William Hardwick.

According to the lawsuit filed by her family, airport security discriminated against the teenager because of her disability and failed to provide her with reasonable accommodation for her screening.

​The suit asks for a maximum of $100,000 (£76,000) and costs for damages which include pain, medical expenses, personal and emotional injury and embarrassment.


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​I think it's fair to say that calling this a bad look for TSA would be the understatement of all understatements. I don't care how bad a misunderstanding is, there simply has to be a way to restrain a disoriented teenage girl without bloodying her face. Like maybe, just maybe, choose a method of hindrance that doesn't require slamming her head into the ground with extreme force. Just a thought.

Now, do I think she was discriminated against for having a disability? No, or course I don't think TSA knowingly said to themselves "we've got a handicapped woman creating a commotion, take her down by any means necessary!". More than likely this was just a case of poorly trained, unqualified security personnel becoming overwhelmed by the moment and completely overreacting to a perceived threat to public safety that wasn't. In fact, my biggest problem with how these agents acted isn't even the amount of violence that they used, it's that they cared enough to use it.

This should have been the ultimate "I don't get paid enough for this shit" moment. Members of TSA should be the most careless people on the planet. I know they are technically responsible for keeping us safe, but there's no way I'm dealing with frustrated travelers at all times and springing into action the second one of them becomes even mildly agitated. The person that tackled this teen like she was standing in the middle of the airport with a ticking backpack raised above her head clearly needs a bit more seasoning, because if he's been on the job any longer than a few months then he should be desensitized this type of thing. You just know that Sharon - the supervisor - immediately put her head in her hands the second she saw Billy - a bright eyed newcomer - leave his post with the determination of a Lion stalking it's prey.  When your job is to deal with irritable people in a hurry then physically assaulting a handicapped female for a minor disturbance is unquestionably a rookie mistake.