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Atlanta mom outraged at Delta's handling of security breach involving alleged stalker

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Published  September 16, 2024 6:53pm EDT
Delta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Mom says stalker snuck onto her Delta flight

A metro Atlanta mom finds Delta Air Lines' response to a security breach on her flight in August to be unacceptable. Lauren Benton said a man followed her family around Washington Dulles International Airport, including into the women's bathroom, before sneaking onto their plane to Atlanta.

In brief:

    • Mother reports family stalked, man boards Delta flight without boarding pass.
    • Mother disputes Delta's claim that man was merely confused.
    • Delta's response and compensation insufficient for shaken sense of safety, family say.
    • Delta silent on details, cites existing security procedures.
    • Stalker not charged by police.

ATLANTA - An Atlanta-area mom is mad at Delta Air Lines’ response to a security breach on an August flight. The mother says her family was stalked by a man at a Washington D.C. airport who eventually snuck onto their Delta plane to Atlanta without a boarding pass for that flight. 

FOX 5 told you about the story last month, but now the family says Delta told her the man was just simply confused, but she says that is just plain wrong. 

"My husband and I have a vastly different interpretation of reality than what Delta's interpretation of reality is," said Lauren Benton. 

Benton says on August 4, a man followed her family around the terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport before their flight. At one point, she says he was in the women’s bathroom with her and one of her young daughters. Then she says he stalked them onto their plane to Atlanta. She told a flight attendant and said it turned out he was supposed to fly another airline to a different destination. 

"My daughters at the time were panicking, crying, scared that the man was going to harm them," Benton said. 

RELATED: Suspected stalker follows Atlanta family onto plane at DC airport

Benton says in the weeks since the flight, Delta told her the person was able to get past a gate agent while they were busy, but says they blamed the situation on the passenger being "confused and had diminished mental capacity." Benton disputes that and says his behavior and responses to their questions weren’t one of confusion. She says she was told the man was supposed to meet his family at another gate. 

"They are minimizing the severity of the issue to protect their brand and their employees," Benton said. 

Lauren Benton says she and her family were stalked at Washington Dulles International Airport with the person even following them onto a Delta Air Lines plane even though he did not have a boarding pass for that flight.

Lauren Benton says she and her family were stalked at Washington Dulles International Airport with the person even following them onto a Delta Air Lines plane even though he did not have a boarding pass for that flight.  (Supplied)

Benton says she does not believe Delta took the situation seriously. She says each family member was given a $500 gift card as an apology, but says it is not about the money because her family’s sense of safety was shattered that day. 

"They're apologizing and they're acknowledging the anxiety that it caused, to say that the man was confused really seems to discredit the emotional turmoil that it caused my children in particular," Benton said. 

FOX 5 reached out to Delta for an update on this story, but the airline declined to comment. In a previous statement, the airline said they have processes in place to prevent unauthorized people from being onboard flights. 

As for the man in question, he was not charged by police that day.