A federal appeals court says airport security screeners can’t be sued over alleged mistreatment because they aren’t law-enforcement officers.
Judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concede that their decision leaves people who are mistreated by screeners with limited legal options.
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Nadine Pellegrino of Florida claimed Transportation Security Administration agents at the Philadelphia airport mistreated her and damaged her property in 2006. Screeners said she hit two of them with a bag.
Pellegrino was arrested but found not guilty at trial. She and her husband filed a misconduct claim against TSA, seeking $951,200.
The appeals court voted 2-1 Wednesday to uphold a lower court ruling that TSA screeners get immunity because they perform an administrative job and aren’t law-enforcement officers who can be sued under federal law.
