Delta said the employee was from a vendor company (Artur Debat / Contributor)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – A lawsuit filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court alleges that a vendor employee working on a Delta Air Lines project stole an iPad from the brewers family, then afterward used it to create and distribute explicit content online, and commit further digital intrusions.
The lawsuit, filed by attorney Eric Familoni of the law firm Gimbel, reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP, details how the employee, whose name has not been publicly released, was contracted by Delta to perform IT work at American Family Field, home of the milwaukee Brewers, in July 2023. During the project, an iPad belonging to the family of Brewers owner Mark Attanasio was reportedly stolen.
Approximately one month after the alleged theft, the individual uploaded a video of himself engaging in masturbatory acts while wearing his work uniform, with a visible name tag, according to the lawsuit. A second explicit video followed shortly after. The Brewers family discovered the videos and connected them to the stolen iPad thru metadata and other identifying data.
Beyond the explicit content,the lawsuit claims the individual accessed an iTunes account linked to the iPad and created a personal profile. He is also accused of using the device to hack into the Brewers’ Amazon account.
The Brewers are not pursuing legal action against the individual directly,but are rather focusing on Delta Air Lines,arguing the airline is responsible for the actions of its vendor employee. Familoni stated that the family sought a direct acknowledgement of duty from Delta, but were unsuccessful.
“We would have hoped, if not publicly, at least personally they would have acknowledged their role and responsibility for what happened to this family,” Familoni said in a recent interview. “Unfortunatly, Delta didn’t do that, which led us to file the lawsuit.”
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from Delta,and requests that the airline take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. The case highlights the growing risks associated with third-party vendor access to sensitive data and the potential for misuse of company property and systems. It also underscores the importance of robust security protocols and thorough vetting processes for contracted employees.
Delta Air Lines has not yet issued a public statement regarding the lawsuit.
