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By The Skanner News | The Skanner News
Published: 05 December 2011

NEW YORK (AP) -- A second senior citizen is claiming the Transportation Security Administration made her pull down her pants as part of a search at New York's Kennedy Airport.

Ruth Sherman, 88, of Sunrise, Fla., told WCBS television ( http://cbsloc.al/sD3xsS ) that agents were suspicious about her colostomy bag and asked her to pull down the waist of her pants so they could see it on Nov. 28.

"This is private for me, you know? It's bad enough that I have it," Sherman said. "That was the first time I had to do that."

The TSA is investigating the claim, agency spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said Monday. She said the TSA has no record of any complaint by Sherman.

Sherman did not answer telephone calls placed to her home on Monday.

She told WCBS she decided to come forward after hearing about the case of 85-year-old Lenore Zimmerman of Long Beach, N.Y. Zimmerman says TSA agents made her take off her pants on Tuesday. Both searches occurred at the JetBlue terminal.

The TSA says Zimmerman opted out of a screening machine and told officers she was wearing a back brace or support belt that required a private inspection. The agency says two female officers removed the item, screened it and sent Zimmerman on her way.

"While we regret that the passenger feels she had an unpleasant screening experience, TSA does not include strip searches as part of our security protocols and one was not conducted in this case," the agency said in a written statement.

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