FAA fines Victoria Osteen $3,000 (also being sued by a flight attendant claiming assault)

Houston Chronicle ^ | 9/29/06 | ARMANDO VILLAFRANCA

[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.

[queenkathy]

I think there's something wrong here. Why would Osteen ask the attendant to get her a napkin and then all this? If she had wanted HER to clean it she would have just stated that in the beginning.

[queenkathy]

AND why didn't the attendant just clean it up...Waitresses would.

Why did the attendant feel the need to go get a special attendant to clean it up? Still something wrong here.

[Red Badger]

I do not like O'Steen. Him or her.............

[wideawake]

Absolutely right. But getting up and taking a flight attendant by the arm like a child to make her do something is ridiculous.

A normal person would simply register a complaint. A frequent-flying 1st class passenger is going to get some attention from a manager.

[rawhide]

AND why didn't the attendant just clean it up...Waitresses would.

That is probably what should have happened. But maybe the FA was busy with another rush job in getting ready for departure. But that in no way excuses Osteen's re-action and further actions.

[wideawake]

And I guess my larger point is that Christ tells us that if someone hits us in the face, we should just turn our other cheek and offer it for another blow.

If that's the level of forbearance Jesus teaches, then enduring the incalculable suffering of having a damp armrest on your first class luxury seat would call for forbearance as well.

It's just bad witness and there's no real excuse for it.

[fox martyr son]

Osteen is another feel-good faith movement peddler.
He didn't have the gumption to defend his 'faith' on O'Reilly.

[angkor]

"The FAA report does not support your theory."

That doesn't matter. I've seen several incidents of FAs being unnecessarily aggressive, confrontational, and downright rude (not that they all are).

The FAA is not going to side with the passenger if everything is "by the book".

[rawhide]

He didn't have the gumption to defend his 'faith' on O'Reilly.What do you mean? I must have missed that.

[angkor]

"I think there's something wrong here."

A large chunk of the story seems to missing.

[baltoga]

Add to it bruised egos. The spoiled girl wasn't about to clean up a mess she didn't make the whiny goldigger wasn't going to be her maid.

[wideawake]

BTW, I disagree strongly with your tagline! I quote:(Those who would bash Osteen/Warren would support HAMAS)

It shouldn't surprise you that persons who embrace pop theology would lose the plot politically as well.

[Red Badger]

I wonder what kind of values and morals are really discussed and taught at Lakewood.

Not this kind, to be sure........

Isaiah 58 6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness [a] will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

[fox martyr son]

He couldn't definitively say that Jesus is the only Way, Truth and Life.

[Red Badger]

He looks like a Sheister from the first time I ever saw him on TV.........

[angkor]

"getting up and taking a flight attendant by the arm like a child to make her do something is ridiculous."

You're painting a picture that may not be true.

That "taking by the arm" could have been in the course of less than 10 feet (or even 5) from the galley to the passenger's seat. It may even have been Osteen's way of showing gracious self-control rather than aggression (she's a minister's wife after all, and may do this "taking by the arm" as a sign of friendliness, we just don't know).

In any case it would not at all surprise me to see FA's completely freak out and go into hysterics if a passenger asserted anything against their wishes, no matter how innocently.

[Gone GF]

"[Note this article never refers to Victoria Osteen as Mrs. Osteen"

What, is she some kind of royalty (obviously SHE thinks she is)? Note that the article doesn't refer to any of the OTHER women as Miss or Mrs. either. And that's because standard AP style doesn't use titles like that. They also don't call George Bush Prsident Bush or Mr. Bush. The NYT and WSJ do, but not most. It's not a conspiracy to disrepspect Osteen. Really.

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[rawhide]

You are right, a lot of FA's are downright rude. I've had my encounter with them. But reading the facts as reported here in the FAA report do not give us any indication that the FA's were rude, but the FAA report does indicates it was Osteen who was rude. I do not think there is any dispute the Osteen acted in the wrong by grabbing a FA by the arm, by charging up to the cockpit, and by bumping into the breast of a FA as she tried to brush by her, in her attempt to find someone with authority. Sorry, Osteen was unladylike and unchristian like in her conduct, as I see here.

[fox martyr son]

While I'm not the judge of his eternal destiny, what he peddles is not biblical.