Mom who filmed passenger's viral rant now comes to her defense

Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Mom who filmed passenger's viral rant comes to her defense
There was some unintended fallout from a viral video showing a woman clearly upset about sitting next to a toddler on a plane.

There was some unintended fallout from a viral video showing a woman clearly upset about sitting next to a toddler on a plane. The viral video has been viewed more than two million times on Facebook alone.

Marissa Rundell, who was traveling with her 2-year-old son, pulled out her phone to record a woman, Susan Peirez, complaining about her seat assignment.

Peirez: I'm not sitting by a crying baby.

Rundell: He's not gonna be crying the whole time.

Then, Peirez is seen giving the flight attendant a hard time.

Peirez: I want your name.

Flight attendant: Tabitha

Peirez: Thank you, Tabitha. You might not have a job tomorrow.

Flight attendant: I want this lady off the plane.

Peirez is seen apologizing to the flight attendant, but she was eventually escorted off the plane.

Delta said in a statement to ABC News: "We ask that customers embrace civility and respect one another when flying Delta. This customer's behavior toward a fellow customer was not in keeping with those standards."

By the time the flight took off, Rundell had posted the video on Facebook - and the reaction was swift. Peirez's employer, the New York State Council on the Arts, said it is launching an investigation and placing her "on leave until further notice."

"I'm actually stunned it went that far," Rundell said.

But the mom who took the video is now defending Peirez. Rundell told ABC News she had no idea her profile was public and that so many people would see her post.

"I'm sorry it's come to all of this," Rundell said, expressing hope that the woman won't lose her job. "I don't think she really deserved that honestly. Honestly, people keep telling me, 'Don't feel bad, she deserved it.' I just don't think she did. She already got her punishment."