Family of Air Force Contractor Killed After Being Struck by Propeller Alleges Race and Gender Discrimination: Complaint

Mar. 15, 2025

Stephanie Cosme.Photo:The Cosme family

The Cosme family

Attorneys for the Cosme family also allege that Kirkendall has a history of discriminating against the company’s Hispanic and female employees. Cosme is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, according to the complaint.

PEOPLE has contacted the law firm representing the defendants but did not hear back in time for publication. However, the firm, Saul Ewing, told theAssociated Pressthat both the company and Kirkendall “deny any wrongdoing or liability whatsoever.”

Stephanie Cosme.The Cosme family

On Sept. 7, 2023, Cosme was killed after she “inadvertently” walked into the propeller of a parked MQ-9A at Gray Butte Airfield in Palmdale, Calif., while doing a ground developmental test, theAir Force said in an accident reportreleased in April 2024.

Thereportcited two causes for the mishap: Cosme “was incorrectly instructed, or trained on, how to take the telemetry readings from the loaded weapons on the MQ-9A aircraft while engines were running,” and additionally, she “lost situational awareness taking telemetry readings.”

The agency’s report also pointed out “a clear lack of communication among the test team and ground support personnel” as well as the “rushed tests” conducted that day due to prior delays and cancellations as factors leading to the incident.

While the investigation report does not cite gender or race-based discrimination, Cosme’s family alleges in the complaint that Cosme’s supervisor, Kirkendall, subjected her to severe harassment in the weeks leading up to her death, calling her “lazy” and placing her in unsafe situations for which she was untrained and unprepared.

“Employers have a legal obligation to appropriately respond to discrimination and harassment,” Debra Katz, the family’s attorney, said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

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“In this case, that obligation was not fulfilled, with horrific consequences,” Katz added. “We are suing because the egregious behavior that led to Stephanie’s death must not be tolerated or repeated, and those that allowed and perpetuated this unlawful behavior must be held accountable."

“She had an innate ability to make those around her feel special and valued. Her capacity to love and care for others knew no bounds,” her obituary reads. “Her gentle spirit and radiant smile brought comfort and joy to all who had the privilege of knowing her.”

In a statement to PEOPLE, Cosme family’s attorneys Justin Green, Partner at Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, and Debra Katz, Partner at Katz Banks Kumin LLP, said: “The family’s goal in filing this lawsuit is to ensure that the people responsible for the discrimination and harassment that caused Stephanie’s death are held accountable, and that nobody faces this kind of treatment again. No other person should go through what Stephanie experienced or suffer the loss that her family must live with every day.”

According to the attorneys, Cosme had planned to get married last fall. She was buried in a wedding dress she’d bought for her wedding.

source: people.com