Zuckerberg sister’s harassment spotlights ‘epidemic’ on airlines

Randi Zuckerberg, the sister of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, isn’t the first to complain about sexual misconduct on jetliners -- a problem a prominent flight attendants’ union called a “silent epidemic” that airlines have failed to solve. Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, said this week that a male passenger on an Alaska Air flight made repeated harassing comments to her and airline employees did nothing about it. In a letter to the carrier posted on social media, she said the crew members continued to serve the abusive customer alcoholic drinks and told her not to “take it personally.” Zuckerberg’s description of the incident on a trip from Los Angeles to Mazatlan, Mexico, drew widespread media attention and Alaska Airlines temporarily revoked the passenger’s travel privileges, pending an investigation. Still, airlines must take stronger action to crack down on in-flight sexual harassment and assault, said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. “Let’s be clear that this is not an Alaska problem,” Nelson said Thursday. “It is an issue at the forefront of national awareness and it is a critical time for the airline industry to examine the steps necessary to take this on.” Nelson said she is seeking a zero tolerance policy and specific regulations to address the issue. “For too long unacceptable sexual innuendo, harassment advances, and assault have been a silent epidemic in our society and certainly on our planes,” she wrote.<br/>