Deaf woman misses flight after gate change, ends up spending two nights in jail and receives a five figure settlement

After four long years of legal battles, Karen McGee is finally receiving a $92,500 settlement from Travis County. This outcome follows an incident in 2022 that saw the then 71-year-old traveler spend two nights in jail and sustain a broken arm after a simple gate change turned into a nightmare.

As reported by Dexerto, the incident began in September 2022 when McGee, a Florida resident, arrived in Austin on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta. She was reportedly traveling to Seattle but missed her connecting flight due to a gate change. Her situation was complicated by an issue with her hearing aids, which she manages through an app on her phone. 

Makenzie Stuard, who works with the University of Texas Law School Civil Rights Clinic, noted, “She controls her hearing aids through an app on her phone. But at the time the event took place, she didn’t know that her hearing aids were actually on a preset setting that didn’t fully cover the sounds that she was missing.”

She was reportedly confused and frustrated 

Following the missed connection, Delta rebooked her on an Alaska Airlines flight. McGee, who was already feeling nervous about flying alone for the first time, spotted her cousin waiting at the same airport for an earlier, delayed Alaska Airlines flight. 

She asked the gate staff if she could switch to her cousin’s flight, but the request was denied. During this interaction, the staff reportedly mistakenly identified McGee as being drunk. In reality, she was simply confused and frustrated, and because she could not hear well, she was speaking louder than she realized.

The situation escalated quickly when Austin police arrived on the scene. They issued a criminal trespass warning, but McGee remained largely unaware of the gravity of the situation. Even when officers asked if she could hear after noticing her hearing aids, she reportedly did not fully grasp what was happening around her. 

Officers eventually wheeled her out of the secure terminal area in a wheelchair, positioning themselves behind her to issue warnings. Because of her hearing loss, she reportedly could not hear these instructions, which included a warning that she would be arrested if she stood up. When she stood, she was arrested for criminal trespass.

The aftermath was severe. McGee was handcuffed, and her phone, which was essential for her to hear, was taken away. She spent two nights in the Travis County Jail, and she later told her attorneys that she reportedly sustained a broken arm during the booking process.

The official responses to these events show a stark divide in perspective, TheTravel reports. Alaska Airlines claimed in a letter that, “We understand that at this point Ms. McGee became extremely agitated and disruptive. While both Airport Security and Alaska Personnel attempted to de-escalate the situation, Ms. McGee continued her aggressive behavior.”

The letter further stated, “The TSA agents also tried to explain to Ms. McGee why Alaska was unable to assist with changing her flight. TSA and Alaska advised Ms. McGee that if she continued her behavior, she would not be allowed to board the aircraft.”

Meanwhile, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office denied any wrongdoing. Spokesperson Kristen Dark said that the office “vehemently disputes the claims that Ms. McGee was injured in any way while in TCSO’s care and custody,” adding that evidence did not support that any injury was caused by their personnel. 

Sheriff Sally Hernandez later stated that the settlement was not an admission of guilt, but rather a way to “compromise disputed claims, to avoid further litigation, and to buy peace.” McGee’s attorney, Rebecca Webber, emphasized that the situation shows a clear need for better training.