The hits keep coming for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The agency finds itself under fire once again, this time for a viral video of a two-minute pat-down of a teenager with special needs at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Jennifer Williamson expressed outrage over the thorough pat-down of her son, Aaron, who suffers from Sensory Processing Disorder.
"We have been through hell this morning," wrote Williamson. "They detained Aaron for well over an hour at DFW. (And deliberately kept us from our flight...we are now on an alternate) We were treated like dogs because I requested they attempt to screen him in other ways per TSA rules."
The two-minute video shows a TSA agent patting down and checking Aaron's thighs, waistband, collar and under arms. Some areas are patted twice from the front and back. All along, the boy appears to be in full cooperation with the agent, which the TSA confirmed in a statement.
While Williamson claims Aaron passed through the detector without setting off any alarms, the TSA said the passenger's computer set off an alarm, prompting the pat-down.
"TSA allows for a pat-down of a teenage passenger, and in this case, all approved procedures were followed to resolve an alarm of the passenger's laptop," the TSA said in a statement to Fusion.
"In total, the pat-down took approximately two minutes, and was observed by the mother and two police officers who were called to mitigate the concerns of the mother," the agency added.
"The passengers were at the checkpoint for approximately 35 minutes, which included the time it took to discuss screening procedures with the mother and to screen three carry-on items that required further inspection."
The explanation is unlikely to satisfy Williamson, who said she was "livid."
"I wish I had taped the entire interchange because it was horrifying. We had two DFW police officers that were called and flanking him on each side," wrote Williamson.
[READMORE] READ MORE: CNN Commentator Calls Out TSA Over Pat-Down [/READMORE]
While perhaps unsettling and certainly inconvenient, it's unclear whether the TSA is completely in the wrong in this particular situation. After all, it announced earlier this month that it was moving to a more comprehensive physical screening procedure involving more contact than before.
However, it doesn't help that the agency already has a bruised reputation.
Since the video has blown up, multiple Twitter users have reached out to DFW Airport's official Twitter account, expressing their frustration over the incident. The airport has directed concerns to the TSA, encouraging commenters to file a formal complaint with the agency.
A Care2 petition has already been started in support of Williamson and her son. The petition, which currently has more than 300 supporters and a goal of 1,000, demands that the TSA clarify its pat-down procedures and do more to accommodate children and those who asked not to be touched.
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