Dallas mother films 'horrifying' pat down of disabled son

Dallas mother films 'horrifying' pat down of disabled son



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A furious mom has blasted the TSA officers who she says gave her disabled son an 'unnecessary' and 'horrifying' pat-down in a Dallas airport on Sunday.

Jennifer Williamson says that her son Aaron, who has sensory processing disorder, was detained for more than an hour at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport despite not setting off the metal detector.

And although she asked the TSA agent not to perform a pat-down, saying it would upset the boy, the agent went through with it anyway.





Williamson then recorded the 'traumatizing' incident in a video that has now been seen more than 1.5 million times.



The video shows Aaron, red-faced, being patted down slowly over the course of two minutes by a TSA officer.

Sometimes the agent appears to pat the boy on areas that he has already checked.

In a Facebook post, Williamson said that she and Aaron were punished and made to wait 'well over an hour' because she asked the TSA agents to respect Aaron's condition.



'We were treated like dogs because I requested they attempt to screen him in other ways per TSA rules,' she said,

'He has SPD and I didn't want my child given a pat down like this.'

In sensory processing disorder, sensations are improperly registered or processed by the nervous system, which can result in discomfort or inappropriate responses to being touched.

'Let me make something else crystal clear,' Williamson added, 'He set off NO alarms. He physically did not alarm at all during screening, he passed through the detector just fine.

'He is still several hours later saying "I don't know what I did. What did I do?" I am livid.'

She also said that the exchange continued beyond the video, when two DFW [Dallas/Fort Worth] officers were called in and 'flanked' Aaron on each side.

'Somehow these power tripping TSA agents who are traumatizing children and doing whatever they feel like without any cause, need to be reined in,' she concluded.



The TSA told the Dallas News that the two officers had been called in to help reassure Williamson.

'The video shows a male TSA officer explaining the procedure to the passenger, who fully cooperates,' the agency said.

'Afterward, the TSA officer was instructed by his supervisor, who was observing, to complete the final step of the screening process.'



It also said that the family were kept at the gate for 35 minutes, not the 'well over an hour' that Williamson claimed.

TSA provides a 'TSA Cares' line to assist travelers with disabilities, medical conditions, and other special circumstances who need additional assistance during security screening.

The organization encourages travelers to contact the hotline 72 hours before traveling with questions about screening policies and what to expect at security checkpoints. It can also provide extra assistance for travelers at airports.

TSA's website states that there are special measures in place for security screening children under the age of 12, like letting them go through security more than once, and letting them leave on their jacket and shoes.

It is unknown how old Williamson's son was at the time she filmed her video of him being patted down.

Adults with disabilities go through the same screening as others when going through security, but they can request special assistance or private screening rooms during the process.  

TSA's website says: 'Travelers requiring special accommodations or concerned about the security screening process at the airport may ask a TSA officer or supervisor for a passenger support specialist who can provide on-the-spot assistance.'