A Nevada woman has sued the Transportation Security Administration after officers allegedly made her expose her genitals and show them a feminine hygiene product she was using as part of an in-depth screening at an Oklahoma airport, according to a report published Saturday.
Rhonda Mengert of Las Vegas filed the lawsuit in response to a strip search she claimed officers at Tulsa International Airport asked her to do on May 12, AP reported. She said the incident has led to severe emotional distress and was a violation of her rights.
Mengert said she believes an implant in her hip was what set off the metal detector as she attempted to pass through a security checkpoint on a flight home to Las Vegas.
She agreed to a public pat down by an officer when the officer discovered she was wearing a “common feminine hygiene product” under her clothes, the lawsuit states.
Officers then took her to a private room and asked her to take her clothing off, exposing her genitals. She was then asked to remove the unspecified product from its location.
“I was told I needed to pull my pants and my underwear down to my knees and remove the item and show it to them for inspection,” she said. “It was horrific. It was horrible. It was degrading.”
Mengert said she is suffering severe emotional distress and says the search violated her rights.
TSA said it cannot comment on pending litigation and that its officers do not conduct “strip searches.”
“TSA does not conduct strip searches and is committed to ensuring the security of travelers, while treating passengers of all ages with dignity and respect,” the Department of Homeland Security agency said in a statement.
