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A flight attendant working for Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines has been charged with assault after a passenger claimed the crew member made racially motivated comments towards the traveler and a sports group she was traveling with. The attendant, known as Jean Riegelman as per court documents, has been suggested by The Baltimore Banner to have attempted to swat a phone out of a passenger’s hand during the disembarkment process.
According to the claim, Riegelman was described as having followed with several racially motivated remarks to the sports group. The passenger, Lauren Price, was boarding an aircraft for flight SY193 from 
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) when, on Monday, the incident is alleged to have occurred, including racist remarks and at the end of the flight, assault.
Demeaned And Degraded When Flying To The Junior Olympics In Iowa
Price was traveling with the DMV Prime Elite girls football team after attending the Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa. The group then traveled by road to Minneapolis to board the Sun Country flight. The group was booked with 19 seats, and only 17 were being occupied as two others had been unable to make the trip.
As suggested by the report in the Baltimore Banner, during the boarding process, Price sat in one of the unused seats so other players could sit together, and after moving seats, it appears that Riegelman asked Price to return to her assigned seat. Price followed these instructions, and during this time racist comments are alleged to have occurred, including using the term “You people”. Price’s recollection of events is as follows:
“Before I could even just get to the row in front of me, Jean began just berating me. She said, ‘If you people would sit in your right seat, we would be able to push back, because of you 186 people we’re delayed.’”
Price Requested The Crew Member To Stop Talking In That Manner
Following the comments, Price asked the crew member to stop talking to the group in that manner, and at the same time, Price’s father, who was traveling with the group, also spoke up. Riegelman is then alleged to have responded that she could do ‘whatever she wanted’. Another crew member apologized for Riegelman’s behavior.
At this stage, security was called, and Price was escorted off the flight with her father. Once back in the terminal, Price was told that they would not be allowed back on the flight and would need to find another airline to travel with. Price paid $500 for a new ticket, and after speaking to Sun Country employees in the terminal, they apologized and said a refund for the cost of the flight would be processed. It remains unclear if the refund has gone through. The rest of the football team, including Price’s sister, remained onboard for the flight to Baltimore.
Once the flight arrived in Baltimore, it is understood that Riegelman attempted to knock the cellphone out of Price’s sister’s hand and hit her hand, which is assault. Following this incident, it was reported to the local police, and Riegelman was charged with second-degree assault. Riegelman is now requested to appear in Anne Arundel County court in September.
Sun Country Is Investigating The Allegations
Sun Country, which was acquired by Allegiant Air in May, has responded to media in relation to the incident, noting that it is taking the report seriously and has commenced conversations with crew and passengers to understand all the details surrounding the racism and assault claims.
Price, who shared a video of the incidents online, has since gone viral, and led to the airline reaching out for more information. There have since been additional comments to the video, suggesting others have had similar interactions with Riegelman.
Price’s football team has filed multiple complaints with Sun Country about the experience, along with a complaint to the Federal Aviation Administration and the United States Department of Transportation. Sun Country flies seasonally between Minneapolis and Baltimore, with one of its Boeing 737 aircraft.
