Last month we were outraged to find several elderly women claiming they had been strip searched by TSA security agents at Kennedy airport. At the time, TSA denied those charges, stating the agents ‘followed proper procedure.’
After investigating, TSA must have found something to the contrary.
In a rare public admission, the agency acknowledged wrongdoing in a letter written to New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris, obtained by NYDailyNews.
The Homeland Security Department acknowledges that screeners violated standard practice in their treatment of the ailing octogenarians last November.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Betsy Markey concedes to state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) that Sherman was forced to show security agents her colostomy bag — a violation of policy.
“It is not standard operating procedure for colostomy devices to be visually inspected, and [the Transportation Security Administration\] apologizes for this employee’s action,” Markey wrote.
But Ms. Markey still wouldn’t admit that the TSA agents forced Ms. Ruth Sherman, an 88 year old grandmother with a colostomy bag, to remove her clothes. She also denied that Ms. Zimmerman had been strip-searched.
“They asked me to pull my sweatpants down, and now they’re not telling you the truth,” Sherman fumed Monday.
Markey also denied that Zimmerman had been strip-searched, but did apologize for the conduct of a TSA agent who violated policy by scanning the Long Island granny’s back brace.
“They’re lying,” said Zimmerman. “I don’t have a problem with [screeners checking\] the back brace. I have a problem with being strip-searched.”
The ladies deserve a real apology and a real admission of guilt. Their honesty is not in question. TSA’s absolutely is.