TSA Screener In Hot Water At JFK: Lateisha El Throws Hot Coffee At American Airlines Pilot, Steven Trivett

TSA screening just got a little more intense. Lateisha El, 30, a TSA screener at JFK Airport was arrested for throwing a cup of hot coffee at American Airlines pilot, Steven Trivett, last month.

At approximately 5 a.m. on March 28, Trivett, 54, of Butler, Tenn., was off-duty and leaving Terminal 8, reports the New York Post. According to Port Authority police, when exiting the terminal, the pilot overheard a profanity-laced conversation.

A source told the New York Post that Trivett approached the TSA screeners and told them that they should conduct themselves more professionally in uniform and not use profanity or the n-word.

A TSA screener told the pilot to mind his own business, says the source. When Trivett identified himself as a TSA officer (an armed pilot) and attempted to grab El's ID tag, the screener pushed him and threw a full cup of hot coffee on him.

Police say that the pilot was not seriously injured from the hot coffee. El has been ticketed for harassment and misdemeanor-assault charges.

A TSA spokesperson told Gothamist that TSA is looking into this incident and will take swift and appropriate action. The unacceptable behavior or a few individuals in no way reflects the dedication of our nearly 50,000 Transportation Security Officers who work tirelessly to keep our skies safe.

The spokesperson noted that the TSA discovery of a concealed knife in a mayonnaise jar is much more reflective of the type of dedicated work our officers perform regularly.