April 21, 2015
Current Events
Investigators said the unnamed male screener told a female colleague he “gropes” male passengers he finds attractive by having another female TSA screener manipulate a scanning machine to require a pat-down search.
“He related that when a male he finds attractive comes to be screened by the scanning machine he will alert another TSA screener to indicate to the scanning computer that the party being screened is a female. When the screener does this, the scanning machine will indicate an anomaly in the genital area and this allows [the male TSA screener]to conduct a pat-down search of that area,” TSA documents state.
Although the TSA knew of the screener’s actions back in November 2014, no action was taken by the agency until an incident was observed and recorded on camera by TSA security supervisor Chris Higgins on February 9th.
Higgins told officers he observed the male screener signal his female coworker, and the woman hit the button for “female” when a male passenger passed through the screening machine.
“The scanner alerted to an anomaly, and Higgins observed [the male TSA screener]conduct a pat down of the passenger’s front groin and buttocks area with the palm of his hands, which is contradictory to TSA searching policy,” the documents read.
Current Events
The female agent confessed to the scheme and admitted to investigators she helped her coworker grope at least 10 men.
“These alleged acts are egregious and intolerable,” a TSA representative said. “TSA has removed the 2 officers from the agency. All allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated by the agency. And when substantiated, employees are held accountable.”
Although both the male and female TSA agents involved were fired, the Denver District Attorney’s Office has declined to press charges in the case, citing the lack of an identified victim and the unlikelihood of a positive conviction.
