The girl, now 11, suffered injuries to her legs, abdomen and genitals, according to a civil complaint obtained by PEOPLE
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- The parents of an 8-year-old Alaska Airlines passenger are suing the company after she allegedly suffered permanent burns from an “un-lidded cup of hot tea”
- The girl, now 11, suffered injuries to her around her legs, abdomen and genitals, according to a civil complaint obtained by PEOPLE
- The family is seeking over $75,000 in damages and has requested a jury trial against Alaska Airlines
The parents of an 8-year-old Alaska Airlines passenger are suing the company after their daughter allegedly suffered “serious burns” to her legs, abdomen and genitals after she was served an “un-lidded cup of hot tea.”
A civil complaint filed on behalf of the girl's parents, Megan and Ryan Conaty, was first submitted in Rhode Island Superior Court on Nov. 17, 2025. However, the suit was recently removed to the state's district court on Monday, April 13, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The incident allegedly occurred on Nov. 17, 2022, when 8-year-old “AC,” her 5-year-old sister “CC,” and their parents were on an Alaska Airlines flight from Boston to Portland, Ore. Ryan sat with AC in an aisle and middle seat, respectively, with Megan and CC seated directly behind them, per the complaint.
Credit: Robert Alexander/Getty
About 45 minutes before landing, the flight crew allegedly offered one last drink service for passengers. At the time, the couple claimed that AC and Ryan were watching a movie on her father's computer.
“Ryan asked the flight attendant for a cup of hot tea for AC, and a cup of decaffeinated coffee for himself,” the complaint says. Ryan claims to have then received the tea and placed it at the center of AC's tray table “in an effort to avoid the tea from tipping off.”
“The flight attendant did not provide a cover for the hot tea, nor did she advise either Ryan or AC that the tray table needed to be cleared or that the tea needed to be placed in the shallow divot in the tray table for drinks,” the complaint claims.
While the flight attendant was away to retrieve milk for the family's drinks, the passenger seated next to AC allegedly “jostled the tray on which the tea was placed,” which then knocked the drink into her lap.
“The pain was excruciating, and AC immediately started screaming,” the complaint says. The girl then reportedly ran to the bathroom and “began vomiting due to the severity of the pain.”
After the flight crew allegedly requested an onboard doctor, a physician-passenger advised that due to the severity of the burns and their proximity to her genitals, AC should be transported to an urgent care facility as soon as possible, the complaint says.
After treatment at Emanuel Children's Hospital in Portland, AC “continued to suffer severe pain and discomfort as a result of the burn,” per the complaint. Today, AC is now 11 and reportedly has “permanent scarring in the area of her burns, some of which is visible at and around her bathing suit line.”
“Other children have noticed and commented on the scars while swimming,” the complaint says. “AC tells them it was a shark bite.”
The complaint names Alaska Airlines as the sole defendant. AC's parents are demanding a trial by jury and are seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
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PEOPLE has reached out to the Conaty family's attorney, Alaska Airlines and its attorney for comment.
Read the full article here
