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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Las Vegas woman has sued the Transportation Security Administration after she says they made her strip down in Oklahoma before a flight back to Nevada, KTNV reports.
Rhonda Mengert says in her lawsuit she was traveling through Tulsa International Airport on Mother's Day when an implant in her hip set off the metal detector, The TV station reported.
Mengert said she agreed to be pat down by a TSA agent. During the search, the agent found a "common feminine hygiene product" that she was wearing underneath her clothes.
Mengert told KNTV that TSA agents then took her to a private room and asked her to strip down and expose her genitals. The lawsuit says they then instructed her to remove the feminine hygiene product.
"I was told I needed to pull my pants and my underwear down to my knees and remove the item and show it to them for inspection," Mengert said, "it was horrific. It was horrible. It was degrading."
Mengert said she is suffering severe emotional distress and says the search violated her rights.
The TSA issued the following statement about the lawsuit: "Due to pending litigation, we cannot comment on the specifics of this case. TSA does not conduct strip searches and is committed to ensuring the security of travelers, while treating passengers of all ages with dignity and respect."
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