Delta Workers Fired After Complaining About Masturbating Supervisor: Lawsuit

Two women were allegedly fired from their jobs at Delta Airlines after complaining that their supervisor was masturbating at his desk, according to a lawsuit filed in New York City Thursday.

Lauren Heffernan, 29, and Kayla Jenkins, 19, began working as cargo agents for for Delta in the summer of 2015 and were assigned a "mentor" to train them in their duties, named in the lawsuit as Mike Keve, a Delta employee of 25 years.

Jenkins claims in the lawsuit that in February 2016, she was doing work on a computer with Keve nearby, and when she realized that he was no longer typing, she "turned her head slightly… and saw Keve sitting at his desk, with his penis out."

Jenkins, who was 18 at the time and still in high school, was worried about reporting the incident to management so she texted Heffernan about the encounter, according to the lawsuit. 

Heffernan responded that a similar incident that happened to her the month before. Jenkins and Heffernan then complained to numerous Delta supervisors, but were dismissed, according to the lawsuit. In one conversation, Heffernan claims that she was told "Keve had been a valued employee and that reporting his conduct could 'ruin' him."

Then in May, Jenkins was fired without warning, told that her schoolwork was preventing her from working enough hours, according to the lawsuit. Heffernan was fired later that month after she returned late from her lunch break.

The women are each seeking $5 million in damages.

Delta said in a statement to NBC 4 New York that its investigation into the allegations "resulted in the termination of two employees,” though the company didn't specify whether Keve was one of them. 

The statement also said that Heffernan and Jenkins "were legitimately terminated for reasons completely unrelated to any allegations of misconduct by others."

"Delta takes allegations of inappropriate conduct very seriously. We promptly investigate and take appropriate action when issues of this nature are brought to our attention," the company said. 

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