A TikTok executive who was attacked in the face by a stranger on a Brooklyn subway last year is suing the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for “systemic negligence.”
Gideon Moncrieffe worked as TikTok’s head of global event production and says the assault has left him battling nightmares, depression, and flashbacks.
The attack unfolded on May 10, 2023, only weeks after a controversial subway incident in which Jordan Neely was killed during a chokehold by Daniel Penny.
Moncrieffe filed the lawsuit in Manhattan Supreme Court and detailed the events that led to the attack.
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He revealed that it began when he attempted to die down a confrontation on a southbound C train.
Sean Lewis, the assailant with a history of violent offenses, was arguing with an older, intoxicated rider when Moncrieffe intervened.
“I said, ‘Look, somebody was killed on the train two weeks ago—they were choked out because someone proceeded to be aggressive,” Moncrieffe told The New York Post.
Lewis responded angrily with, “Thank you,” before he slashed Moncrieffe’s face from his forehead to chin with a sharp object. The attack left Moncrieffe with an 8-inch gash that required 100 stitches, and he is suing the MTA for negligence after the incident.
Lewis pleaded guilty to the assault in August 2023 and was sentenced to seven years in prison and also has an extensive criminal record, including nine arrests between 2016 and 2021.
His offenses include charges of assault, strangulation, and disorderly conduct, as per law enforcement sources.
Moncrieffe’s lawsuit accuses the MTA of failing to enforce safety protocols, such as its prohibited rider policy, which could have prevented Lewis from the subway system.
The suit also alleges that the train conductor worsened the situation by locking the car doors, leading Moncrieffe to be trapped in close quarters with Lewis.
“The attack was the foreseeable result of systemic negligence by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which failed to enforce its own safety policies, respond to emergencies, and protect its passengers from foreseeable harm,” Moncrieffe said in court filings.
While the MTA said that Lewis was not banned from the subway at the time of the attack, Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper stated that the current policies limit the agency’s ability to enforce transit bans.
“The perpetrator in this case had not been banned prior to this incident… nor would he have been eligible to be banned because of it,” Kemper said in a statement. “The MTA has advocated for changes that would give DAs more latitude to request a ban and judges more opportunity to implement transit bans.”
Moncrieffe was engaged at the time of the attack and says the trauma has derailed his personal and professional life, a setback he still struggles to get past. He no longer rides public transportation and suffers from “persistent hypervigilance,” which makes it difficult for him to sleep, focus, or maintain relationships.
After the incident, his relationship with his fiancée ended, which has left him devastated, the lawsuit states.
At the time of the attack, violent subway crimes were up about 20% compared to 2019, and while violent crime has decreased in 2024, murders in the subway system have surged 60% as of September, according to reports.
The TikTok executive who was attacked is seeking unspecified damages and is asking the court to order the MTA to improve safety measures, including consistent enforcement of its prohibited rider policy, increased security personnel, enhanced emergency response protocols, and regular audits of safety procedures.
This case is a perfect illustration of the ongoing concerns about subway safety and the effectiveness of current policies in addressing violent incidents on public transit.
