A Virginia man had a confused reaction when he was profiled as a potential human trafficker by Southwest Airlines while traveling with his teen daughter and her friend.
John Kerrigan was boarding his connecting flight from Denver International Airport on October 21 for the final leg of his trip when the cabin crew flagged him down.
As Kerrigan left his seat to use the restroom, a flight attendant approached the 15- and 16-year-old to ask a few questions about their relationship with him.
A Virginia father was labeled a possible human trafficker during his connecting flight while he traveled with his daughter and her friend
“She keeps asking if we’re alright and if we know you,” Kerrigan remembered his daughter telling him, according to WAVY. “And I said it seemed strange.”
Unbeknownst to the travelers, the cabin crew had contacted airport police during the flight, for suspicions of human trafficking — and Kerrigan was seen as a person of interest.
When the plane arrived at the gate in Norfolk, passengers were instructed to stay put. Three airport officers then walked to the back, where Kerrigan and the girls were seated.
“[They said] ‘Sir, would you follow us? We’d like to ask you some questions,” Kerrigan said.
He was escorted off the plane, an act which he found rather humiliating and rude.
“I said, ‘This is offensive.’ I did find it very offensive. I mean, I hadn’t done anything wrong,” he explained.
Authorities questioned Kerrigan for about 20 minutes before letting him go without charging or detaining him.
A program made by the Department of Homeland Security outlines a guide for airport and aviation staff to spot possible indicators of human trafficking
The Blue Lightning Initiative outlines a list of actions for “airports, airlines, and aviation staff” to watch out for in order to become more familiar with signs of human trafficking.
One of these signs is “a non-genuine relationship: particularly with a parent or guardian and a child.” Once detected, Southwest employees must immediately contact law enforcement officials, as stated on their website.
According to Fox 59, while Kerrigan agrees these measures should be implemented, he believes last week’s incident could have been dealt with better.
“That was just a horrible way to go about it,” he said. “We all would like for them to catch child traffickers. That’s a worthy goal. But to humiliate somebody?”
The incident seemed to divide comments on social media, with some saying safety should always remain the number one priority
“Airline staff are not in anyway law enforcement and should not receive any training for this type of incident,” wrote someone. “Two instances in this story proves that, I hope the gentleman in this article sues and wins. In the meantime bring me a coffee.”
A user replied, “I disagree. Though embarrassing, [even] angering, the flight attendants did the right thing. Human traffickers are often sophisticated, and their victims indoctrinated.”
Another echoed, “He should be thankful they were making sure the girls were safe! What if they’d been with someone dangerous? Yes, being questioned is unsettling at the time, but easily corrected.”
“Better to be safe than sorry!” read one of the comments
