DOCUMENT: Stupid

Tiny Payout In TSA Breast Exposure Lawsuit

Texan, 24, paid $2350 to settle airport frisking claim

TSA Screening

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JUNE 1--The U.S. government paid a paltry $2350 to settle a lawsuit brought by a Texas woman who sued the Transportation Security Administration after her breasts were exposed during a vigorous frisking at a Texas airport, records show.

In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, the Department of Justice released a copy of the settlement agreement reached earlier this year with Lynsie Murley, the 24-year-old Amarillo woman who sued the TSA for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress in connection with the May 2008 incident at the Corpus Christi airport.

The eight-page agreement notes that the settlement does not constitute an admission by government officials of any “liability, fault or wrongdoing.” It also stipulates that legal fees paid to Murley’s lawyers were not to exceed 25 percent of the settlement amount (or $587.50).

Murley, pictured above, charged in her lawsuit that she was “singled out for extended search procedures,” and that a TSA agent frisked her and “pulled Plaintiff’s blouse completely down, exposing Plaintiff’s breasts to everyone in the area.”

TSA employees, Murley added, “joked and laughed about the incident for an extended period of time.” After leaving the security line to be “consoled by an acquaintance who had brought her to the airport,” Murley returned to the line, where a male TSA worker said that he had wished he was there when she first passed through. The employee, Murley recalled, added that “he would just have to watch the video.” The incident left Murley “extremely embarrassed and humiliated,” according to her complaint.

In January, when U.S. District Court filings revealed that a settlement had been reached, TSG requested a copy of the document memorializing the deal as well as the amount of money being paid to Murley.

However, Kathy Colvin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas, refused to provide the agreement or any details about the settlement. The settlement was subsequently provided to TSG in response to a FOIA request filed with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for United States Attorneys. (8 pages)

Comments (88)

"So it's not an injustice for the TSA NAZIs to harass innocent, white conservatives who aren't terrorists?" I said no such thing in my previous comments. Work on your reading comprehension. I was simply pointing out that if you're going to racially profile people who are most likely terrorists (which I am wholly against), then you would have to profile both whites and arabs, based on statistics alone. Of course, racial profiling of people in any setting is both wrong and ineffective. "A Muslim who is an athiest [sic]??? Now, you're just being silly." Please explain how this is silly. I know a number of people from Muslim backgrounds who are atheists, do not believe in Islam or any other religion and understand that truth and morality don't come from a magical book that tells you what you can and can't do. Why should it be proper to harass those people, who use logic and reason and are therefore far less likely to commit a violent act than most people who profess allegiance to any religion? The KKK, which is a terrorist organization in every definition of the word, has far more members who are US citizens than does al-Qaeda. Add in all the other neo-NAZI and white power organizations that commit atrocious acts of violence against people of color and my point is made stronger. Liberalism and Conservatism are both not a mental disorder, just different ways of looking at the world. The DSM-IV makes no mention of political ideology or alignment as a form of mental disorder. I see what you did there at the end with the implied insult to Obama. I recall when Bush was president, if anyone dared insult him, a swarm of rabid conservatives would call that person anti-American and suggest that person leave the country if they don't like it here. I pose the same remark and suggestion to you.
It's darned lucky for us that the TSA is keeping their eyes open for Timothy McVeigh types because lord knows crazy white folks have been trying like the dickens to kill us all ever since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Gosh, it's just the height of injustice to trouble those poor peace loving mooslims.
umm Loughtner? Thats right, there have been more deaths on American soil from "white" terrorism then "brown" terrorsim in the last 10 years... I have no idea if this statement is true. Feel free to fact check for me. PS - I have nothing against white people unless they are terrorists. PPS - U like my liberal "s?
Fact check what? Your comment doesn't really make any sense. Feel free to support your own ideological belief in the liberal line of this version of your reality. It will be amusing to see what you come up with. PPS. As long as you are categorizing any crime committed by white people as "terrorism", please include all crime committed by "brown" people. Thanks in advance.
Shooting a govt. official and then turning the gun onto a crowd of supporters is an act of terrorism. Robbing a bank is not. Right?
Sorry, don't intend to parse words and play games with a liberal drone pretending he doesn't see the nose attached to his face. You know what the hell a terrorist is. Grow up and learn to think for yourself.
Corpus Christie is where an over eager female agent forced my wife who was a bald cancer patient to remove her hat and carefully felt the hat band to make sure there were no explosives or dangerous devices concealed therein. At least this lady got a small amount of justice. Corpus Christi TSA is a slime hole of abusive TSA agents.
I just joined the boycott over at Boycott26.com, thats the best solution for the TSA.
Sexual predators must be applying by the tens of thousands for TSA jobs. They are an international laughing stock.
I just wonder where the predations of TSA will logically end. When are they going to start full body cavity searches in case people start shoving bombs into various body parts? Does the TSA have any checks and balances to ensure that when you go to fly that they can not just single you out and assault you or your family members with out regard to reasonable search and seizure laws? When do they stop harassing little old women on walkers or in wheelchairs and upending them and beating them up and not look twice at any obvious real threats that walk by in their line because the TSA does not want to single out people that might complain about being profiled. Heaven help us if they notice someone wearing black robes and a turban with a burning piece of safety fuse sticking out of their shoes, for that might be profiling and we certainly can not have that.
Wow, predations, sorry but, it takes more than knowing how to use your handy thesaurus in order to appear as if you possess actual intelligence. Also, you blew it when you stooped low enough to make a remark such as this...."someone wearing black robes and a turban with a burning piece of safety fuse sticking out of their shoes, for that might be profiling and we certainly can not have that". and this......."not want to single out people that might complain about being profiled"??????? Really? Come on, So now they have psychic powers? You are putting so much effort into appearing intelligent and so little effort into thinking about what you are saying. We've surpassed the whining and bitching phase of the TSA's security humiliation theater, now we are on to the, how can we stop them and, how can we change the failed system phase. Stories like the exposed breast definitely need to be heard but what is needed most is for ALL to speak out but, speak out with words and ideas that contribute to the good fight, we are better than them.
It's just a matter of time before some terrorists learns to baggy things up and shove them up their exhaust pipe... when that happens, you betcha the full cavities will begin. But I think people have the wrong idea about the T&A... think of it like this-- the service they provide FOR FREE usually costs around $75 at your local red light district. :-)
The government is destroying our rights - trying to break the will of the American people. It sounds like you have already submitted and accepted your position as a slave.
Sadly, we'll have to take your word for it. Try bathing and brushing your teeth.
She might have been able to sue for battery as well because many women's breast are tender and sore all the time. For her to have gotten any kind of monetary settlement seems to me that TSA was at fault even though the wording in the settlement says they weren't.
TM-fricken-I... thank you.
Odd that liberals defend this sort of thing.
how do "liberals support this sort of thing"? I think you need to re-look at what you think it means to be a liberal/conservative, because it has nothing to do with what you think. my wife always votes Republican and leans toward Libratarianism. she works in national security, and although she doesn't like TSA, she supports the role they play in protecting our airports and isn't upset by their increased security measures, like pat-downs and scanners. My mother, step-father and probably father and step-mother can be added to this list of TSA supporters -- all of whom are HARDCORE conservative Christian Republicans. I vote Democrat and am "liberal" on nearly all social issues, mostly because i think it's none of the government's business what any of us do with our bodies (while I call this Libratarianism, you might say I'm a liberal because I am pro-choice, anti-drug war and against any government law that says what I can and cannot do with my body). I also have a HUGE problem with TSA scanners, pat-downs and any other overtly intrusive government intervention into my life. Your comment attempts to blame increased TSA security measures on a Democratic Administration, and then go one step further by assuming all "liberals" must embrace TSA. What you fail to recognize is: these measures would be in place regardless of which party controlled the White House. Remember it was George Bush and a Republican Congress that created the TSA and passed the Patriot Act, and Republicans continue to lead the charge to reauthorize it. The line that separates those willing to give up some of their freedoms in exchange for some security does not simultaneously separate liberals from conservatives.
An awful lot of pecking and rationalizing to try to explain away the odd phenomenon of liberals condoning the groping of six year old girls.
How is this a liberal issue? You keep using that word, leading me to believe you're all BS and FUD.
Is English your first language? I didn't say it was a "liberal issue". I said that only liberals defend these practices.
You're right about that. And we know they don't have to go through the TSA, they spend our money on private transportation. Wish one of THEM would get groped and felt up, they might change their tune...
It's not really odd, it's quite typical. And it's common to read about liberals' (famous or not) sexcapades in the news. Same with drug use. Liberals defend each other, saying it's nothing as if laws don't apply to them. We already know that morals don't. If it was nothing, it wouldn't be news, now would it? But, let the occasional so-called conservative (like Mel Gibson or Arnold Schwartzenegger) make headlines and the liberals are all over it, condemning them like crazy.
it's common to read about non-famous liberals' sexcapades in the news? really? if they aren't famous, how do you know they're liberals? when you read a media story about "sexcapades" (whatever that is), why do you assume the person involved is a liberal if they aren't famous and you've never heard of them? I don't condemn conservatives for being crazy because of fringe weirdos like Gibson and Arnold. I condemn conservatives for being crazy for listening to quacks like Palin, Beck, Rush, etc. Also, what the heck does "sexcapades" have to do with this TSA story?
You condemn conservatives because the people they listen to consistently describe you as a weak loser who looks to the government for your basic needs and is chronically begging for a share of someone else's success....... and you know they are correct.
According to the law, TSA screeners are covered under the TORT Claim Act, and the identitfied TSA employees found responsible for the above mentioned negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress in connection with the May 2008 incident at the Corpus Christi airport are individually liable and can still be sued by Ms Murley. Since the TSA employees were not bonded, any attorney can see that this would be most certainly "a slam dunk" case...easy money & off to the bank...I hope she will be able to place this unpleasant incident behind her.
She looks kinda cute....Must have tiny bewbies to receive such a tiny settlement.
Maybe not......she's from Texas and things are bigger in Texas.
Wow, really? You do realize that you sound like a complete turd. And that you're making light of a serious incident that should make you outraged. I suggest you stop acting like a drunk, overfed frat boy and start thinking and behaving like a real man.
Laugh all you want now. Just a sign of where we're headed....Tyranny. These perverted and deranged McDonalds rejects are just the beginning. The TSA mindset comes down from the top (Napolitano and ultimately Obama) = we are subjects and must submit to their demands or else.
Sounds like it would be an even smaller settlement if they pulled your pants down. oo=I>
oo=l> sucks. Look at me: 8==========D
Of course, an "8"! thanks bud.
Perhaps, but I'll bet you could make it big and hard sugar-britches.
19 yo Marine, riding .50 cal on deuce and a 1/2 convoy to DMZ, opened fire on an old lady and sleeping baby walking besides trucks. Noticed, arms bouncing, head back but eyes wide open. Loudest explosion ever, the baby bomb would have split the convoy in two, we'd be dog meat. Stop whining, let TSA do it's job. Freedom isn't free, it costs a lot more when your enemy has no rules of engagement. Touching a few sets of wee weiners and saggy boobs versus planes lighting up the sky is a minor price to pay.
Wow. You f'n liar. If she was close enough for you to see that the arms were bouncing and eyes wide open, you would have gotten blown up also. If she was far enough away that you had to look through binoculars, there is no way an old lady would have ever caught up with the convoy. "Loudest explosion ever." Total BS! No way an old lady could have carried that much explosive material. If you went through Marine basic training, you would have heard louder explosions when they blew up a couple hundred pounds of satchel charges during field exercises/demonstrations. Get a life you loser. Even if something close to your imaginary scenario did occur, that doesn't excuse the TSA from acting unprofessionally. "Oh, that is all well and good, but, voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." -- Hermann Goering
Stop the BS, you "wanabe Marine." Its not about, touching a few sets of wee weiners and saggy boobs. Listen close "wanabe Marine"...........Its about the TSA violating our right of liberty under the 4th Amendment.
The name of your MGySgt, which DMZ, what unit, out of where?