No family should ever board a plane expecting safety and leave with scars, but that is exactly what happened to our client, Mohammad Shibli, his wife, and their two young children.
What began as a simple request for water on Delta Flight 0561 turned into a nightmare at 30,000 feet. A flight attendant refused to provide water for their two-year-old child, humiliated the family, and ultimately struck Mr. Shibli in front of his wife, his four-year-old son, and dozens of passengers.
For nearly four hours in the air, this family sat in fear, helpless and trapped. The emotional toll was devastating: a father humiliated, a mother silenced, and a young child left asking whether it’s normal for dads to be hit on airplanes.
At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, we address not just a single act of violence, but also the root cause of the issue. At our press conference, we laid out in detail the very facts and evidence you will read throughout this blog, including sworn affidavits and witness statements from passengers who saw and heard the assault.
This is about exposing a pattern of negligence and misconduct at Delta Airlines that has left passengers across the country questioning whether this airline can truly keep them safe.
A Request For Water Turned Into Violence And Humiliation
On July 29, 2025, our client, Mohammad Shibli, boarded Delta Flight 0561 with his wife and their two young children, ages two and four. What should have been a routine trip to a family wedding turned into a nightmare.
What makes this case so heartbreaking is how it began. A two-year-old child simply wanted a sip of water. His mother politely asked a nearby flight attendant, but shockingly, she was refused even though the attendant stood just steps away from the galley where bottled water was stored.
Mr. Shibli, seated a few rows away with their four-year-old son, received a text from his wife: “He’s crying, and they won’t give us water.” He walked calmly to the back of the plane and repeated the request himself, only to be denied again in the same cold manner. Finally, another Delta employee at the front of the plane gave him water without hesitation and even apologized for his colleague’s behavior. But instead of ending there, the ordeal escalated.
The original attendant followed Mr. Shibli back to his row. She mocked him, leaned into his space, and told him she could have him arrested when the plane landed. Witnesses described her behavior as “provoking,” with one passenger asking aloud, “What’s her deal?” Then, in front of his four-year-old son, she leaned close, whispered a vulgar insult, and struck him across the face. A witness reported that the sound of the slap was so loud it could be heard even through noise-canceling earbuds.
This was not poor service. This was customer abuse of the highest order: a father humiliated, a mother silenced, and two children left in fear. Delta’s Diversity & Inclusion page promises to “reflect & respect the world,” and its Community Engagement mission claims to “connect the world.” On Flight 0561, those promises collapsed into abuse, humiliation, and trauma.
The Painful Question No Child Should Ever Have To Ask
For many passengers, the assault on Mr. Shibli was shocking. But for his four-year-old son, it was confusing in the most heartbreaking way.
At his aunt’s wedding just days later, the child looked up at his grandfather and asked:
“Do you also get slapped in the face when you get on a plane? Because my daddy did.”
No child should ever believe that violence is a normal part of travel. No father should ever be humiliated in front of his son. And no mother should have to explain to her children why they were denied water and forced to watch their father be assaulted in the air.
This single question, asked with the innocence of a child, reveals the true damage of Delta’s negligence. The trauma doesn’t end when the flight lands. It follows families home, into their memories, and into the lives of children who are too young to understand why the adults they trust failed to protect them.
Why Does This Family Believe They Were Targeted For Being Palestinian
For the Shibli family, what happened on Delta Flight 0561 was more than just bad service. It felt like a direct attack on who they are.
Mr. Shibli’s wife wore a shirt that read Palestine and her hijab that night. Instead of being treated with dignity, she and her family were met with cold refusals, intimidation, and finally violence. A basic request for water for their crying toddler turned into public humiliation and an assault in front of their four-year-old son.
The cruelty wasn’t random. Witnesses saw the flight attendant single them out, brushing against Mr. Shibli, leaning into his space, and even whispering a vulgar word in his ear before striking him. To be harassed like this while sitting beside your child is a wound no parent should ever carry.
This is why the Shibli family believes they were targeted: because they were visibly Palestinian. Because the wife wore her identity on her shirt and in her hijab. Because at that moment, a Delta employee saw a difference and chose hostility instead of compassion.
As Mr. Ali Awad, our Managing Attorney, reminded the public, Delta previously admitted on its own social channels that it would be “terrified” by Palestinian symbols and that bias now echoes in this case. In his words:
“When a Palestinian Muslim man is smacked in the face by a Delta employee, in front of his 4-year-old child and a plane full of passengers, we must ask: why is racial discrimination and violence being tolerated against Palestinians? Well, today, we no longer tolerate it.”
No passenger should ever feel unsafe because of who they are or what they wear. That’s why the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is demanding mandatory sensitivity training about Palestine for every Delta employee so that identity never again becomes a trigger for violence in the skies.
What This Case Means for Every Passenger Flying With Delta
This case is not only about the Shibli family. It is about every passenger who boards a plane expecting safety, dignity, and basic respect. If a father can be denied water for his child, mocked, and assaulted in front of his family, then no traveler can feel fully secure. What happened on Flight 0561 raises a universal question: Who protects the passengers when airlines fail?
No one should ever accept this because it is not just abuse, it is humiliation. An attack like this strikes at a father’s dignity, his manhood, and the trust his children place in him. No Arab, no Palestinian, and truly no person of any nationality in the world would tolerate such treatment.
At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, our empathy extends beyond this one family. We stand behind every passenger who has suffered humiliation, discrimination, or violence, and we will always fight to protect those who feel powerless at 30,000 feet.
What Has Been Happening at Delta Airlines In The Past Year
What happened to the Shibli family is not an isolated case. In the past year alone, Delta has faced multiple scandals showing a troubling pattern of negligence and misconduct:
- Co-pilot arrested (2025): On July 28, 2025, federal agents boarded Delta Flight 2809 in San Francisco and arrested a co-pilot on child sexual abuse material charges, in front of stunned passengers (The Guardian, ABC7, People).
- Financial misconduct (2025): In July 2025, Delta agreed to pay $8.1 million to settle a False Claims Act case tied to COVID-19 relief funds (DOJ).
- Crash-landing in Toronto (2025): In February 2025, a Delta flight crashed in Toronto, flipping on the runway. Survivors said they were “drenched in jet fuel” as they escaped. Delta offered $30,000 payouts, but lawsuits are ongoing (Business Insider, People).
Why Delta Must Be Held Accountable For This Assault And Pattern Of Negligence
Delta cannot escape responsibility for what happened on Flight 0561. Under long-established legal principles, employers are held accountable for the actions of their employees when those actions occur within the scope of their employment. A flight attendant striking a passenger in the middle of service is not a private act; it is an abuse of power carried out under the airline’s authority.
This assault also cannot be separated from Delta’s wider pattern of misconduct. In the past year alone, the airline has seen a co-pilot arrested on felony charges, a flight attendant charged with attempted murder, corporate violations of federal rules, and even a crash-landing that left passengers drenched in jet fuel.
One incident may be dismissed as an isolated incident involving a rogue employee. Multiple scandals reveal corporate failure. By ignoring warning signs, Delta allowed a culture of negligence to take root, and passengers like the Shibli family paid the price.
What the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm Is Demanding from Delta
At the press conference, our firm made it clear that this case is not only about one family’s suffering, but also about every passenger’s right to safety and dignity. No one should ever board a plane wondering if they will be denied basic care, humiliated in front of their children, or struck by the very employees entrusted to protect them.
That is why we are demanding meaningful change from Delta. First, every employee must undergo mandatory training on Palestine and human rights, so that bias and discrimination are never again allowed to influence service. Second, Delta must be held financially accountable. If the airline can earn billions in quarterly profits, then it can answer for the pain it inflicted on this family. We are demanding one full day of Delta’s profits, valued at at least $20 million, as a measure of justice and accountability.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm Will Keep Fighting Until Justice Is Done
At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, we know accountability cannot be optional. Mr. Ali Awad and our entire legal team have promised to pursue this case until Delta answers for its failures. Families should never be forced to endure humiliation and violence at 30,000 feet.
This lawsuit is about more than compensation; it is about change. We will not stop until justice is served, training is enforced, and every passenger can fly without fear. If Delta has discriminated against you, mistreated you, or in any way violated your rights as a human being, please contact us today.
