Southwest Passenger Undergoing Chemotherapy Claims The Airline’s Gate Agents Physically Attacked Him When He Tried Purchasing An Extra Seat Because He Didn’t ‘Look’ Disabled
A man undergoing chemotherapy treatment was physically assaulted by a Southwest gate agent after he tried to purchase a second seat for himself.
He was reportedly refused the accommodation because he didn’t appear to have a disability.
The man claimed that the gate agents physically attacked him when he tried booking a second seat for himself since he ‘didn’t look disabled.’
David Ford from Avon, Connecticut, recently filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines after an unpleasant experience at a Dallas airport.
According to Avon, who was battling cancer and undergoing chemotherapy at the time, he was physically assaulted by a gate agent who refused to allow him an extra seat per Southwest’s extra-seat policy.
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The policy allows passengers who “encroach upon any part of the neighboring seat” to purchase an additional seat next to them to properly accommodate themselves and other passengers.
Southwest’s policy noted, “The purchase of additional seats serves as a notification of a special seating request and helps us ensure we can accommodate all Customers on the flight. Most importantly, it ensures that all Customers onboard have access to safe and comfortable seating.”
“If you choose to purchase an extra seat, see a Customer Service Agent at the gate to obtain a Seat Reserved document for the additional seat purchased. You’ll place the Seat Reserved document on the adjoining seat.”
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When Avon did just this before his flight in June 2024, he was allegedly humiliated and degraded by gate agents who claimed that he “didn’t look disabled” and refused to issue him a boarding pass for an additional seat.
Little did they know Avon was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments at the time and could have benefited from the extra room.
After Avon demanded to speak to a supervisor, another gate agent appeared to check the weigh-on scale before telling Avon, “You ain’t getting a second seat on my watch.”
As he grew increasingly vulnerable, Avon took out his cell phone and began recording the gate agents’ atrocious actions.
KevinKim | Shutterstock
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However, a gate agent snatched the phone from him and refused to return it until local police arrived on the scene.
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Eventually, a supervisor stepped in to issue Avon a boarding pass for the seat next to him.
The damage, however, was already done, and the incident left him shaken and humiliated.
According to the lawsuit, after all of the passengers were seated, one of the gate agents boarded the plane and demanded that Avon delete the footage of their interaction.
Avon is now suing the airline for numerous violations, including “unfair trading practices over the way it markets its extra seat policy, and infliction of emotional distress.”
Southwest has allegedly reached out to Avon issuing an apology and admitting that they had “failed to comply with regulations in your case.”
While the gate agents certainly need to review their policies regarding additional seats for passengers, there is a much bigger issue within this entire scenario: the assumption that some people don’t “look disabled.”
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Not all disabilities are visible. They do not have a specific appearance.
You never know why someone may have parked in a handicapped spot without a wheelchair or crutches or why they requested certain seats while using public transportation. Frankly, it’s none of your business.
Woman Criticizes How Airline Employees Carried Her Wheelchair Off The Plane — But People Think She’s Wrong
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.
Savannah police and the FBI are continuing to follow any possible leads to find whoever is responsible for the acid attack in a local park that left a woman with severe burns.
During a media update on Tuesday, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said a person of interest police were looking to identify is now being interviewed by investigators.
The person of interest, whom Johnson called “Bugs Bunny guy,” came in voluntarily and has not been identified as a suspect in the case at this time.
“He is not detained at this time. We are just asking questions of him,” Johnson said.
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The mayor said that officers have interviewed dozens of individuals since the attack in Forsyth Park on Dec. 10.
In this photo provided by Connor Milam, her friend Ashley Wasielewski sits with bandages in a hospital bed in Augusta, Ga., on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, after witnesses she suffered severe burns when an unknown attacker poured a corrosive chemical over her head at a public park in Savannah. (Connor Milam via AP)
Connor Milam / AP
An unusual attack shocks Savannah
On that night, 46-year-old Ashley Wasielewski had gone for a walk after attending a Christmas program at a nearby church. She was walking laps at Forsyth Park when the attack happened. Her son, Westley Wasielewski, said he learned about what happened through a phone call from a bystander who stopped to help his mother. He said he could hear her screaming in pain over the phone.
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Wasielewski suffered burns that covered about half of her body, including her scalp, face, and legs.
From her hospital bed, Wasielewski told family and friends that she was walking along the sidewalk near the edge of the park when she noticed a shadow coming up behind her, said close friend Connor Milam. As she turned around, the person poured a liquid over her head.
“She was instantly like, ‘Why are you pouring water on me?’ And then her skin started to burn,” Milam told the Associated Press. “She looked down, and her pants were starting to burn off her body. She started screaming.”
Investigators later determined that the substance was acid.
Ashley Wasielewski was left with severe burns over half her body after what appeared to be a random acid attack while she was walking in a Savannah park.
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Courtesy of GoFundMe
Investigation into acid attack continues
Johnson called the attack a “horrific incident” that shocked him and other Savannah residents “to the core.”
“In all of the time that I have been in law enforcement here and engaged in public service – over 30 years – I can not remember anything like this involving acid. And there are just so many questions,” Johnson said.
The Savannah Police Department took to social media to ask for the public’s help identifying a man seen on security footage near the park and the driver of a white SUV/Crossover that was spotted traveling on Whitaker Street. Both have since made contact with investigators.
The department is working with the FBI, which set up $5,000 reward on Monday for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the attack.
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Police have increased patrols in city parks out of an abundance of caution and urged residents to stay aware of their surroundings and report suspicious activity. Officials do not believe there is any indication of an ongoing threat.
“We’re not going to let people scare us out of our parks,” Johnson said.
The FBI and the Savannah Police Department have established a digital tip line for photos and videos that may aid in the investigation here.
Anyone with information about the attack is urged to contact the Savannah Police Department at (912) 234-2020 or the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-225-5324.
Burn victim continues slow recovery
A GoFundMe page created by friends of Wasielewski has raised more than $170,000 to help cover her medical bills and long-term recovery costs. According to the page, the money will go toward burn unit care, surgeries, rehabilitation, wound care, skin grafts, and adaptive needs.
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A friend provided a medical update saying most of Wasielewski’s burns have been diagnosed as third-degree and cover more than 50% of her body. The friend said it is unlikely hair will grow back on her scalp and that doctors are closely monitoring whether her body will accept cadaver skin following recent surgery before moving forward with skin grafting procedures.
Despite the attack, Johnson said that Wasielewski “has had a remarkable attitude.”
“The city will continue to be supportive to her on that end, and we’ll be very interested in justice and accountability on the other end,” he said. “Because I think what will make her feel best is to make sure that whoever did this is off of our streets.”
Austin, Texas seeks offers of design, engineering, installation, operations and maintenance and decommissioning of solar projects on municipal facilities.
Anne Fischer
Image: Jan Van Bizar, Pexels
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Last spring Austin, Texas city council members approved a resolution to put solar on the rooftops of city-owned buildings. The resolution supports the Austin Climate Equity Plan that aims for net-zero community-wide carbon emissions by 2040 with an emphasis on cutting emissions by 2030. In keeping with that plan, the city is seeking a request for quotations (RFQ) for the solar projects planned for 111 municipal facilities.
Austin plans to make use of existing infrastructure by placing solar on rooftops and over parking lots. In addition to parking lots, the City-owned facilities on the site list designated for solar include at least seven fire stations, libraries, maintenance facilities, garages, recreation centers, city hall, and more.
Quotations on design, engineering, building, operations, maintenance and decommissioning are due by January 6, 2026 at 2 p.m. CST with questions due by December 22, 2025 at 5 p.m. CST. An online pre-offer conference will take place via Microsoft Teams on December 19, 2025 at 11 a.m. CST. Teams meeting ID: 277 171 690 189 99 Passcode 45Vf2kK3. Solicitation-specific questions can be directed to shawn.willett@austintexas.gov.
Austin’s electric customers are served by Austin Energy and connected to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) grid.
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Earlier in the season, Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson appeared to be a shoo-in to enter the NFL Draft. In fact, some even felt he could be the first signal-caller off the board.
But circumstances have changed.
Simpson had a tumultuous end to the regular season and put forth a miserable performance against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, completing just 48.7 percent of his passes in a blowout loss.
Could Simpson’s rough stretch ultimately cause him to stay in school for another year, and if he does, is it possible he could play somewhere other than Tuscaloosa?
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The idea of Simpson foregoing the draft and then entering the transfer portal has been gaining steam. In fact, sources have told Rob Gregson of A to Z Sports that it’s a real possibility.
“If Alabama loses Round 1 (of the CFP) and Kalen DeBoer stays, you have to assume it’s Keelon Russell’s job,” the source told Gregson. “Ty has lost the luster that made him a first-round pick, and he would probably return. He would immediately become the top name in the portal.”
This would be quite a turn of events for Simpson and would be somewhat similar to the move Carson Beck made last year, when he transferred from Georgia to Miami.
Of course, the chances of this happening still seem rather slim. This a rather thin quarterback draft class, with only Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore truly challenging Simpson. Ergo, Simpson could still be a first-round pick in spite of his recent struggles.
Plus, a strong performance in the CFP could — and almost certainly would — completely alter the trajectory of Simpson and would place him back on a track as a top prospect in the eyes of most.
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The 22-year-old has thrown for 3,268 yards, 26 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 64.3 percent of his passes in 2025. Pretty solid numbers.
Simpson definitely has good NFL traits, too. He has a strong arm, and while he has only rushed for 98 yards this year, he is athletic enough to have maneuverability and escapability in the pocket. He can also make plays with his legs.
And while he doesn’t have elite size, he isn’t small, either, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 208 pounds.
The ability is definitely there for Simpson, so it just seems hard to imagine that he would kick the NFL Draft can down the road and return to school … and transfer in the process.
Simpson surely understands how complicated of a process that would be and how it could actually damage his future in the pros.
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The fact that this is a discussion, however, is beyond interesting, especially with Alabama preparing to face Oklahoma in the first round of the CFP this Friday.
