Why should this first-class pain in the ass risk her manicure?
Posted on 09/29/2006 4:12:48 AM PDT by truthandlife
The Federal Aviation Administration has fined Victoria Osteen, wife of Lakewood pastor Joel Osteen, $3,000 after determining she had interfered with a Continental Airlines crew member aboard a flight late last year.
And this week, a flight attendant filed suit claiming she was assaulted by Victoria Osteen during that flight to Vail, Colo., for the Christmas holidays.
Osteen has paid the penalty, which is not an admission of guilt.
On the civil matter, Rusty Hardin, Osteen's attorney, called the lawsuit a "ridiculous" attempt to seek money from Osteen, whose husband is a best-selling author as well as the pastor of the largest church in Houston.
In February, the agency notified Osteen that officials were planning to fine her $5,000 for the Dec. 19, 2005, incident, according to a letter the FAA sent to Osteen. The agency reduced the fine, which Osteen paid last month.
Aboard the plane, according to the letter, Osteen asked flight attendant Verssie Ray for napkins to clean a liquid on the armrest of her first-class seat. When Ray returned with the napkins, Osteen told Ray she should clean the armrest because it was her job to do so, according to the findings of the FAA investigation.
After Ray told Osteen she would get another flight attendant, Osteen left her seat and asked flight attendant Maria Johnson to clean the seat.
"You (Osteen) grabbed FA Johnson's right forearm and led her to your seat," the FAA report stated.
Johnson told Osteen she would get aircraft-cleaning personnel to take care of the liquid stain and headed for the cockpit. Osteen followed Johnson toward the front of the airplane where she encountered flight attendant Sharon Brown and asked to speak to someone in authority.
"You (Osteen) then tried to get past FA (Sharon) Brown by pushing her out of the way and elbowing her in the left breast," the FAA report stated.
"Both FAs told you (Osteen) that you could not go into the cockpit. You (Osteen) then grabbed the arm of FA Johnson who had just exited the cockpit, said then come here and pulled her into the galley stating that you had enough of FA Brown."
Johnson and Brown then asked to have Osteen to be removed from the plane, but she and her family left voluntarily.
Claims filed in civil suit In her civil suit, Brown, a flight manager aboard Continental Flight 1602, stated she was pushed and elbowed in the chest by Osteen, who had walked up to the cockpit demanding "to speak with someone of authority."
The lawsuit, filed Monday, is seeking unspecified damages.
Hardin said Osteen did not assault Brown.
"Victoria Osteen never assaulted her, absolutely never assaulted her," Hardin said.
"This flight attendant just flipped out. I can't answer why, the only thing I can say is that Victoria Osteen is the last person in the world who would assault someone.
"This is an absolutely ridiculous lawsuit that never should have been filed."
Hardin and Lakewood Church said Osteen would not comment about the lawsuit or the allegation.
Reginald McKamie, Brown's attorney, said his client and flight attendant Maria Johnson filed complaints with the FAA.
He said several statements were filed supporting Brown's claim that she was assaulted by Osteen, including Johnson, who he said witnessed the assault. McKamie said Brown decided to pursue the lawsuit because Osteen still claims that they exchanged words because of a misunderstanding and that no assault took place.
"Victoria Osteen sent a letter out to her congregation saying she acted in a Christianlike manner. We're going to let a jury of 12 people from Harris County decide whether she acted in a Christianlike manner," McKamie said.
'Verbal misunderstanding' Hardin said Osteen paid the fine to put the issue to rest and because she believes "very, very strongly" that she did nothing wrong.
"It's unfortunate that the flight attendant thought it necessary to file a lawsuit over a verbal misunderstanding. It was never assault," Hardin said. "She would never had paid the fine if the finding had a finding of an assault."
Don Iloff, brother of Victoria Osteen and spokesman for Lakewood Church, however, cited errors in the report, namely that the plane departed from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
Hardin said another attorney representing Brown had contacted him stating that his client wanted an apology from Osteen. Hardin said he never heard from the attorney again or anything related to the incident until the lawsuit was filed.
The lawsuit stated Brown sustained bruising and other pain as a result of the encounter. Brown is seeking compensation for past and future medical care, emotional pain, suffering, mental anguish and humiliation.
I believe Brown, yet if she's suing for humiliation she must be extremely sensitive, too much so to operate openly in our society. Get a life.
Hmmm? You paid a fine because you did nothing wrong? Why were you fined then?
Why should this first-class pain in the ass risk her manicure?
"The lawsuit stated Brown sustained bruising and other pain as a result of the encounter. Brown is seeking compensation for past and future medical care, emotional pain, suffering, mental anguish and humiliation."
All that because she got elbowed in the boob? Wow.
I give her a thumbs up.
Mrs. Osteen would have spent a few months in the Federal pokey for trying to get into a cockpit if she had not been in a first class seat amd not had aname that anyone in southeast TX would recognize.
Trying grabbing and shoving a couple of flight attendants while heading for the cockpit, saying "let me talk to some one of authority" the next time YOU fly and let us all know how that works for 'ya.
I hopw the Lakewood Parishioners enjoy paying the settlement, or better yet, find them selves an actual church to attend.
No sh*t, Sherlock. That's what lawsuits are for. But then, you're an attorney, so you know that.
LOL, you know, you have such a good point! :D
[Note this article never refers to Victoria Osteen as Mrs. Osteen
Mrs. Osteen, as the children of the Most High Almighty we have $$$$$$$$$ on our backs for the world to take aim for--EASY Money.
Though you and we will win, we won't read much of our winnings, or get the apologies you and we deserve from satan's little boys and girls.
Mrs. Osteen behaves like a spolied little girl on a plane and she gets sued by a whiny golddigger.
Disedification all round.
BTW, I disagree strongly with your tagline! I quote:(Those who would bash Osteen/Warren would support HAMAS)
(Proverbs 16: 18-19 Pride goeth before destruction, and an bhaughty spirit before a fall.)
"This flight attendant just flipped out."
I had an FA go from 0 to 10 on the hysteria scale because I couldn't fully fit my small traveling daypack under the seat ahead (a box of audiovisual gear was installed there).
It was minutes before takeoff, and she asserted (after I asked) that there was not a single inch of space in the overheads, not a single spot where this small pack could be temporarily stored for takeoff, and that indeed she would have to stop the takeoff and have the (small) pack checked into baggage.
She was in such a snit that everyone around was watching this performance, and one passenger downrow finally said he could put it under the empty seat next to him. Problem solved. Of course the FA could have offered the same thing for any of the unoccupied seats on the plane, but she was out to harrass passengers instead.
The people around me were kind of astonished, we were exchanging glances and it was pretty clear this FA had displayed herslf as a complete nutcase.
But it was not the FA that flipped out here, but the passenger!
"Mrs. Osteen behaves like a spolied little girl on a plane and she gets sued by a whiny golddigger."
In my observation, lots of FA's have very short fuses coupled with autoritarian attitudes, and they sometimes enlist overkill to keep passengers under control.
Some passengers just aren't used to the kind of treatment and rude attitudes that your more psycho FA's bring to the flight.
Exactly. All you little people just don't understand the pressures of being a celebrity (even if it is only in my own mind). I mean, like, it’s already sooo humiliating having to fly 1st class -- I deserve my own private Gulf Stream.
"But it was not the FA that flipped out here, but the passenger!"
I'm not sure that the FA didn't start it.
Where do these "stewardesses" get off not catering to the passengers. They are little more than cocktail waitresses in the sky. She should have cleaned up the mess as instructed and all would have been avoided.
The FAA report does not support your theory.
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