A “constipated” 20-year-old man is suing United Airlines, claiming a United pilot broke into the lavatory he was accused of “monopolizing” and pulled him out…with his pants down. The man, who is Orthodox Jewish, is also alleging anti-Semitism.
Constipated United Airlines Passenger Claims Pilot Yanked Him Half-Naked Out Of Lavatory, Then Launched Anti-Jewish Tirade
On January 28, 2025, Yisroel Liebb was traveling from Tulum, Mexico (TQO) to Houston (IAH) on a Boeing 737-800 with an “acquaintance” and went to the lavatory 30 minutes after takeoff in the rear of the aircraft.
20 minutes later, a flight attendant woke up Jacob Sebbag, Liebb’s traveling companion, to ask him to check on his colleague…he was still in the lavatory.
Liebb responded that he was “alright but experiencing constipation and would be out shortly.”
10 minutes later, Liebb was still in the restroom and a pilot appeared, asking Sebbag to return to the lavatory and tell Liebb he must come out. They both approached the lavatory, where the pilot “began yelling loudly at Liebb, demanding he leave the bathroom immediately.”
The lawsuit contends that when Liebb did not instantly comply, the pilot broke open the lavatory door and pulled him out… half-naked.
Seconds later, Liebb spoke through the door, notifying the pilot that he was okay, that he was finishing up, and that he would be out momentarily. The pilot became visibly enraged, broke the lock on the door and forced the door to the bathroom open, pulling Liebb out of the bathroom with his pants still around his ankles, exposing his genitalia to Sebbag, several flight attendants, and the nearby passengers on the plane. Liebb quickly pulled his pants back to his waist after being allowed to set his feet.
With Liebb now out of the lavatory, the pilot proceeded to “repeatedly push them” back to their seats while threatening to have them arrested and “making scathing remarks about their Judaism, and how ‘Jews act.'”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was also named as a defendant, with the lawsuit alleging DHS officials boarded the plane and brought Liebb and his seatmate to a detention facility in handcuffs (it isn’t clear why his friend was arrested too). When asked why they were being held, both were told, “This isn’t county or state, we are Homeland, you have no rights here.”
The handcuffs were placed tightly to create “severe wrist pain” and Liebb also claims injuries to his head and leg that he blames on the United captain.
United Airlines has refused to comment on this lawsuit.
You can read the complaint here.
Very Damaging Allegations…
The allegations are very damning. There also seems to be guilt by association going on here, because I see no valid reason why Sebbag was arrested too. Because he was “dressed like a Jew” too?
I will reserve final judgment for now and would love to interview the pilot onboard (I’m not surprised by the poor treatment by the folks at DHS, but the conduct of the pilot surprises me).
But it would not surprise me if it was not a pilot at all involved in the incident, but simply the purser (who wears two strips). Would a pilot really come out for this sort of thing?
What If You Have Constipation Onboard?
The case presents an interesting question…what are you supposed to do if you are constipated (or more like if you have irritable bowel syndrome) and need an extended period in the lavatory?
I spoke to a United flight attendant about this and she told me (speaking for herself, not the company), “You have to realize what usually goes on when people are in the lavatory that long…they are either doing drugs or wanking off. Does it really take 30 minutes to confirm you are constipated?”
I find that a fair question…but on the other hand, a former colleague had IBS and would routinely make extended trips to the bathroom…and I’m confident he was not just playing games on his cell phone.
Lavatories, like overhead bins, are shared space. Hogging a lavatory for 30 minutes when there are 200 people onboard is not polite…but if this was genuine incontinence, I have a lot of sympathy for Lieb.
CONCLUSION
A United Airlines passenger is suing United Airlines and the Department of Homeland Security for what he calls degrading and anti-Semitic treatment. His allegations are quite serious but also present a real dilemma when onboard an airplane with 200 people sharing three lavatories.
What are your thoughts on this case?
image: A United 737 lavatory
How is anyone returning from Mexico constipated?
LOL! Good one!!!!
I am prone to bowel issues. I have had embarrassing episodes in public bathrooms where I had to find creative ways to clean up and try to cover up what happened. When that happened and asked by a friend what happened, I said I was constipated because it is less embarrassing and gross than saying diarrhea. Further, I have an adult son who is about that age and has inflammatory bowel disease. From time to time he has issues that require a lot of time in the bathroom. He tries really hard to not to eat much for a few days ahead of flying, but at the beginning of his chronic illness he had incidents out of the blue and didn’t have a diagnosis or realize that he had an ongoing condition.
It’s horrifying if it is true and also horrifying if it is a false accusation. Can you imagine standing falsely accused of this, and having your career and everything you own at stake?
Houston-based pilot? They are all racists. Trust me, the IAH base is like a good old boy’s club. Listen to them speak. A bunch of MAGA Tumptards. Even the stewards are bad if it turns out it was not the pilot.
Flag in play, unnecessary trump reference!
Texas is the state of MAGA Trumptards!!! I have relatives in Texas and just refuse to go there!!
Please don’t come to Texas, you’ll not be missed.
Yawn, another TDS doltard. Go seek help for your mental condition.
If constipated, get up and try again in a few minutes.
The plaintiff’s attorney is a bankruptcy attorney in NY.
The complaint looks weak. There are 2 causes of action. One is delay. They won’t get much if any. The other cause of action is injury. To one, it’s cuffs too tight. That can be evaluated. The other was pulled out of the lavatory and yelled at. The attorney chose not to sue the employees. If the employees have their depositions taken, the plaintiff’s lawyers will have to fly to Texas or wherever the crew lives because the crew would not be defendants.
This screams of hyperbole. “Broke the lock”? You mean they unlocked it from the outside?
Right – just flip up the “occupied” and slide the lock…
What court? Southern District of NY or Administrative Law Courts of the Department of Homeland Security?
It’s a horrifying event, if true. Personally having seen a despicable event from Delta a couple of years ago in J to ICN, where the FAs harassed and racially abused an elderly lady recovering from surgery with her daughter who were both American citizens, I personally do not think that an event like this is completely out of the picture. It’s sad that there are people who still judge people based on their race/ethnicity and not the content of their character.
“Content of their character” is really wordy. I wish MLK spoke better English. What use is “content of”? Just say that they should be judged by their character.
..lol.. Are you saying MLK had ‘linguistic’ incontinence ?
@derek: “content of character” as a counter narrative to “color of skin.” A beautiful and poetic juxtaposition.
Zero confidence the plaintiff’s assertions are close to accurate.
People wank off in plane toilets? For real? Ewww! How could one get a hard on in a plane toilet on your own…except you are getting a blow job from someone else then maybe possible but still disgusting place to be excited
I asked her. She said, “Cell phones.”
Hmm… And no one was filming?!?
Exactly what I was thinking.
The most likely situation of what happened.
Dude was holed up in the bathroom for a long time. Pilot needed to used the bathroom and got angry, which resulted in this altercation.
Could be, but he was in the rear lav.
I should have been so lucky.
What about failure to c0mply with flight crew instructions ? You’d think he’d at least be considerate enough to get off the pot and let a few other pax have a go, then return and ‘try again’ …. On the other hand, I would truly pity someone if they had a continual case of diarrhea, where maybe realistically sitting on the pot for an extended period would be best option as opposed to to returning to one’s seat only to soil oneself and stink up the entire cabin for the duration of an already painful commercial flight. I also find it incredible that a flight crew member would so overtly pull both the religious & race cards but I, fortunately, was not there to witness any of this needless drama…
Another set of awful behavior from Trump’s DHS. Not shocking at all.
I find it hard to believe that there isn’t video of an incident like this.
Which makes it hard for me to believe this happened as described.
Let’s be real,no group loves attention the way jews do,anyway they can get it,…that became apparent to me even as a pre adult watching American tv and movies.Ill throw Russians into that ” Look at me,Look at me,Look at me”” group too.
So Sebbag got to see his Tebbags.
I have seen people try to stay in the toilet for extended times because they don’t want to sit in the middle seat. If I was sick as he stated I would of alerted the staff.