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.
The facts that we know for certain are:
1) - There was an altercation on the plane before takeoff
2) - Mrs. Osteen was involved
3) - The Osteen family left the plane before takeoff rather than be removed
4) - Mrs. Osteen paid a $3,000 fine for her part in this.
There are lot of holes in this story. It doesn't add up.
Wait! The article doesnt state that Ms Osteen caused the mess that needed cleaned up. I thought it was referring to a mess that was there when she sat down in which case it's like sitting at a dirty table at a restaurant. I would NOT clean that up.
And why would a flight attendant sue? $$$$ Hey get over it! I've had plenty of attendants that clean stuff up w/o calling a cleaning or maintenace person. I see, the job was BENEATH the attendant.
Oh sure, government buracracies and the MSM are always on the up and up. (eyes rolling) No Christian bashing? Check out post 27 from some Newbie.
Besides, she was running her hands through her husband's mullet.
"I choose to believe the FAA report. Why do you supposed she was fined?"
First off, you're reading a newspaper account of an FAA report. Second, that report is itself a onesided account, at least as presented here. Which is all fine. So long as we know where you're coming from.
She was fined because she didn't behave as passenegers should, which is "sit down and shut up."
Here's my alternate story:
Mrs. Osteen sat in her first class seat, noting that the armrest was covered with some gross liquid mess. She asked an FA to please provide her with something to clean the mess (noting that the FA's were too busy to do it themselves).
Even this was too much for the FA, who came back and angrily tossed a pile of napkins on the armrest. Noting this, Mrs. Osteen was a bit offended, because she was only trying to help with something that by all rights the FA's should have done already.
She leaves her seat (people are still boarding the plane), and approaches another FA at the galley, about 8 feet away from her seat. She explains there's a problem and gently guides the FA to her seat just 3 steps away, which causes the FA to freak out. She looks at the disgusting mess oin the armrest and says she'll call cleaning crew from the tarmac to clean it, which she coldly notes to Mrs. Osteen will delay the flight.
She wheels around back toward the galley, and Mrs. Osteen follows, since she feels these people are being really rude and uncooperative and wants to speak to their supervisor.
As she proceeds to the galley (just 8 feet away) FA Brown notes that the cockpit door is still open, and in order to intimidate Mrs. Osteen and regain control, states "you can't go into the cockpit", which Mrs. Osteen hadn't intended to do anyway. AS FA Johnson approaches Mrs. Osteen again gently takes her arm to guide her into the galley, and states that FA Brown is intentionally inflaming the situation.
Because Mrs. Osteen has clearly left the realm of docile and compliant passenger, they ask that she be removed from the plane.
Later, Mrs. Osteen's lawyer says it will be easier and less painful to just pay the FAA fine - even thought it is wrong - and move on with her life.
Johnson - seeing the report as an easy way to get an out of court settlement - sues, even though no charges of criminal assault had preveiously been alleged or charged,
-----
So you see, there is an alternate explanation which fills some obvious holes.
"1) - There was an altercation on the plane before takeoff "
As I noted in my first post to this thread, I've personally been subjected to a psychotic FA who made a problem where none existed and which any normal personal could have solved in 5 seconds or less (which indeed is what happened).
So while we agree that "there was an altercation", we have no clue whatsoever as to who started it, fomented it, and cultivated it to the level it reached.
Don't tell me you do know, because you don't. There is no factual information to support either conclusion.
Which is the point: virtually everyone on this thread is swallowing the word of the FA's hook line and sinker, when it may be they who caused the entire problem.
"I've had plenty of attendants that clean stuff up w/o calling a cleaning or maintenace person."
Note that "cleaning crew" is not normally on the plane during boarding (in fact I've *never* seen them on the plane at that stage).
Which meant the FA was saying she'd call them off the tarmac.
I'd guess she also conveyed to Mrs. Osteen that this would delay the flight.
Ain't that nice?
You don't know that she "threw a tantrum". That's the word of the FA's.
And the word of the FAA, used in leveling a fine against Vicki for her actions.
Only emphasizing the fact that you are willing to make things up, since there is no such assertion in the story.
You don't know it was her intention to go to the cockpit area. She could have been headed toward the galley, where FA's can normally be found before takeoff.
Exactly, nobody knew her intentions in moving towards the front of the plane in an agitated state (There, that has to sound better than tantrum). Therefore, it makes her just as dangerous as ANY passenger heading towards the flight deck with unknown intentions.
Where does it say "she was in an agitated state? Again, you are making up your own facts.
That fact is, you have no facts at all. You've read a one-sided account, and addedd several assumptions of your own. You do not know what really happened.
Nope no facts at all, only the FAA report, Flight Attendent's account and Vicki's account. Only one account differs from the other two, guess who's that was.
You have the FAA's summation of the FA's accounts. Where did you find Mrs. Osteen's account? It's not in the story.
If FA Johnson thought she was being assaulted, why didn't she have Mrs. Osteen arrested?
Where are the assertions that Mrs. Osteen was told to remain in her seat during boarding?
Did FA's Johnson or Brown ever call the cleaning crew> Did they show up to clean the armrest?
These are facts. Deciphering intentions and using loaded language is not "a fact".
"If Brown thought it was beneath her dignity to clean up the mess,"
I suspect you are getting close to a central truth about this incident.
Don't tell me you do know, because you don't.... Which is the point: virtually everyone on this thread is swallowing the word of the FA's hook line and sinker, when it may be they who caused the entire problem.
So many people here, after reading this so-very-informative article, know exactly what happened and who's to blame.
We are indeed blessed to have so many astute judges here, all totally unbiased.
Bodes well for the nation that these same people are eager to impact the political system. We need individuals of such high jurisprudential quality, at a difficult time such as this.
That's despicable, but sadly, in many ways it reflects why the american christian church has the "impact" it does on our culture at large.
The american church loves Jesus, until he asks us to do what he did - feed the poor, clothe the naked, comfort the lonely, care for the sick; you know, those grace, mercy, and charity thingies for all those, weird, smelly, icky people.
"Pick up your cross daily and follow me."
-- "Well I'm sure that was just a metaphor."
-- "I do that! I did'nt watch any porno today, even though I really wanted to."
-- "Hey, I put my $20 in the basket. What do you expect from me; 10% or something? I only make $100,000 a year!"
For too many us "bearers of Christ", it is'nt that we screw up when the rubber hits the road, its more a case of the rubber never getting close to the road in the first place.
IBTZ.
It seems pretty obvious that you're a DUer pretending (a bit too hard) to be a Freeper. After you're zotted, get another screen name and try again. Just don't be such a caricature of what you think Christians are.
Osteen-bashers are Hamas supporters?
Where on earth did you get that fruit-headed idea?
I had a problem with this story when it came out last year.
WTH is pastor's family flying 1st Class for anyway?
With the exception of two ministers, any of the "mega-church" and "most influential" ministers I've encountered were nothing more than ear tickling businessmen straight out of II Peter, Chapter 2.
"Where do these "stewardesses" get off not catering to the passengers. They are little more than cocktail waitresses in the sky."
She don't wear no pants and she don't wear no tie
Always on the ball, she's always on strike
Struttin' up the aisle, big deal, you get to fly
You ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
You ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
Paid my fare, don't wanna complain
You get to me, you're always outta champagne
Treat me like a bum, don't wear no tie
'cause you ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
You ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
And the sign says, "Thank you very much for not smoking"
My own sign says, "I'm sorry, I'm smokin'"
Don't treat me special, don't kiss my ass
Treat me like the way they treat 'em up in first class
Sanitation expert and a maintenance engineer
Garbage man, a janitor and you my dear
A real union flight attendant, my oh my
You ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
You ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
You ain't nothin' but a waitress in the sky
You go, girl.
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