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RALEIGH, N.C. — An angry father is demanding answers as to why his 10-year-old daughter was subjected to an "invasive" pat down at a North Carolina airport — all because of a juice box.
Kevin Payne was going through security at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport with his daughter, Vendela, when a TSA agent found a juice pouch in Vendela's carry-on bag, according to NBC News. Agents swabbed the girl's bag, which returned a false positive result for explosives.
That's when the pat down took place.
"She just had a completely blank stare on her face," Payne told NBC. "I could tell it was very uncomfortable for her."
Payne recorded the nearly two-minute frisking on his cellphone.
"What was going through my mind is, 'This is annoying. I don't like this. I want to run out the door,'" Vendela told NBC.
Payne said that while he understands certain policies and procedures must be observed when it comes to airport security, there must be a way to protect young children from being subjected to the kind of screening Vendela had to endure.
"I think they couldn't done a better scrutiny of what they were looking for prior to putting their hands all over my 10-year-old daughter," Kevin Payne said.
In a statement to NBC, the TSA noted it has updated policies regarding children under 12 in an effort to prevent the necessity for pat-down screenings such as this one. However, the agency claims the agent in the video acted appropriately and followed protocol in this case.
That procedure requires a parent be present for the screening, which was the case in this particular situation. Additionally, a cellphone alarm went off in Vendela's bag, which required further inspection, according to the TSA.
Payne said he will be working with his federal congressman to file a formal complaint.
