The family of an Air Force contractor who died after walking into an aircraft’s moving propeller in 2023 has filed a lawsuit alleging she experienced race and gender-based harassment during her employment — and that the way she was treated ultimately led to her death.
The complaint, filed against Sumaria Systems LLC and others in Los Angeles County in December 2024, claims Stephanie Cosme, a 32-year-old test engineer, was “hazed” by test director Derek Kirkendall, who allegedly directed Cosme to “perform a task he knew was dangerous, in violation of safety warnings, leading her to sustain fatal injuries.”
Attorneys for the Cosme family also allege that Kirkendall has a history of discriminating against the company’s Hispanic and female employees. Cosme is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, according to the complaint.
PEOPLE has contacted the law firm representing the defendants but did not hear back in time for publication. However, the firm, Saul Ewing, told the Associated Press that both the company and Kirkendall “deny any wrongdoing or liability whatsoever.”
On Sept. 7, 2023, Cosme was killed after she “inadvertently” walked into the propeller of a parked MQ-9A at Gray Butte Airfield in Palmdale, Calif., while doing a ground developmental test, the Air Force said in an accident report released in April 2024.
The report cited two causes for the mishap: Cosme “was incorrectly instructed, or trained on, how to take the telemetry readings from the loaded weapons on the MQ-9A aircraft while engines were running,” and additionally, she “lost situational awareness taking telemetry readings.”
The agency’s report also pointed out “a clear lack of communication among the test team and ground support personnel” as well as the “rushed tests” conducted that day due to prior delays and cancellations as factors leading to the incident.
While the investigation report does not cite gender or race-based discrimination, Cosme’s family alleges in the complaint that Cosme’s supervisor, Kirkendall, subjected her to severe harassment in the weeks leading up to her death, calling her “lazy” and placing her in unsafe situations for which she was untrained and unprepared.
“Employers have a legal obligation to appropriately respond to discrimination and harassment,” Debra Katz, the family’s attorney, said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
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“In this case, that obligation was not fulfilled, with horrific consequences,” Katz added. “We are suing because the egregious behavior that led to Stephanie’s death must not be tolerated or repeated, and those that allowed and perpetuated this unlawful behavior must be held accountable.”
According to her obituary, Cosme was born in Fontana, Calif., and grew up in Palmdale. She is survived by her parents, her brother and sister, as well as her fiancé and stepdaughter.
“She had an innate ability to make those around her feel special and valued. Her capacity to love and care for others knew no bounds,” her obituary reads. “Her gentle spirit and radiant smile brought comfort and joy to all who had the privilege of knowing her.”
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