FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines has replaced the law firm that told a judge a 9-year-old girl was negligent in not noticing there was a camera phone taped to the seat in an airplane lavatory.
An airline spokesperson confirmed Friday that the Wilson Elser law firm is no longer defending American in a lawsuit filed by the girl's family.
American retained Kelly Hart & Hallman, a Fort Worth-based firm that has done extensive work for American in other matters.
The change in lawyers came after Wilson Elser said in a court document that any harm to the girl could be blamed on her “fault and negligence" for using the lavatory, "which she knew or should have known contained a visible and illuminated recording device.”
A former American flight attendant is accused of luring girls to use the lavatory after taping his iPhone to the toilet seat and explaining that the seat was broken. Estes Carter Thompson III, who was fired by American, pleaded not guilty this week to attempted sexual exploitation of children and possession of images of child sexual abuse.
The 9-year-old’s family sued American in state court in Austin, Texas, after the FBI told them that videos of the girl were found on the flight attendant’s phone.
“With the benefit of this new legal representation, we hope that American Airlines will now take a fresh look at the case and finally take some measure of responsibility for what happened to our client,” said Paul Llewellyn, a lawyer for the girl's family.
Llewellyn is also representing the family of a 14-year-old who is suing American in federal court in North Carolina over the same flight attendant's alleged acts.
Wilson Elser did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
FILE - In this photo provided by the law firm Lewis & Llewellyn LLP, an iPhone is taped to the back of a toilet seat on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Boston, Sept. 2, 2023. Estes Carter Thompson III, an American Airlines flight attendant, pleaded not guilty Monday, May 20, 2024, on charges of trying to secretly video record a 14-year-old female passenger using an airplane bathroom last September. Police have also alleged that Thompson had recordings of four other girls using lavatories on an aircraft where he worked. (Lewis & Llewellyn LLP via AP, File)
American Airlines drops law firm that said a 9-year-old girl should have seen camera on toilet seat
Chris Johnson, one of nine players in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season who made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years with the Tennessee Titans, revealed in a television interview aired Monday that he has ALS.
Johnson, 40, spent 10 seasons in the league and last played in 2017 for the Arizona Cardinals. He said on ABC's “ Good Morning America ” that he was diagnosed with the fatal nervous system disease last year.
“Honestly, I don’t know if you really fully process it,” he said, using his eyes to communicate through a computerized speech-generating device during the interview with Michael Strahan. “At first you’re in shock. Then you realize you have two choices: You can give up or you can fight. I chose to fight.”
Johnson, a first-round draft pick out of East Carolina in 2008, rushed for 7,965 yards over six seasons with the Titans. The native of Orlando, Florida, had 2,006 yards in 2009 to earn the nickname “CJ2K” and ingratiate himself with the Tennessee fan base.
Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk, in a statement released Monday, said the organization is holding Johnson, his wife and four children close.
“Some people leave a mark on an organization that you just can’t put into words. Chris Johnson is one of those people for us. His leadership on the field, in addition to his impact in the locker room and Nashville community have written him permanently into the story of this franchise," Adams Strunk said. “Learning this news is extremely difficult, and we will support Chris every step of the way throughout his journey."
ALS, which is an acronym for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative condition that affects nerve cell communication with muscles throughout the body. The disease leads to muscle weakness and can cause deterioration of the ability to move, speak and breathe.
Tim Shaw, who had a six-year career as a linebacker in the NFL and was a teammate of Johnson's with the Titans from 2010-12, was diagnosed in 2014 at age 30 with ALS and is still alive.
Johnson, who also played one season for the New York Jets, first noticed weakness in his right hand and trouble with his grip. He was still working out daily a year ago. Now he can't hold a cup or speak on his own.
“Your mind stays sharp. People sometimes look at a person with a physical disability and assume you’re not still the same person inside,” Johnson said. “I still think the same. I still dream. I still love my family. My body just doesn’t cooperate.”
Johnson was joined for the interview by his wife, Brittany, who has become his primary caregiver.
“She hasn’t left my side through any of this. My kids are also a huge part of why I keep going,” Johnson said. “Every day I wake up wanting more time with them to make more memories and just be their dad. They give me a reason to keep fighting.”
Johnson has been participating in experimental treatments with the goal of extending his life and helping the medical field move closer to a cure for the disease.
“If it helps even one person get diagnosed sooner, inspires more research or gives another family hope,” he said, “then it's worth it.”
Johnson didn’t discuss his playing career in the interview. In a later post on his Instagram account he acknowledged the unknown about how he developed the disease but referenced research that has linked repetitive head trauma to ALS. That includes a 2021 study that found NFL players were nearly four times more likely to develop the disease than the general male population.
“I hope the NFL steps up, invests in research, and continues working to protect players — both now and for generations to come,” Johnson said. “Together, we can push toward better treatments and, one day, a cure.”
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FILE - Former Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson visits the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sept. 15, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, file)
