The Coalition for an Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights sued Delta Air Lines Inc. on Tuesday in a federal court in Texas, alleging the airline got hacked e-mails and tried to undermine the organization, according to Houston-based The Gibson Law Firm.

Kate Hanni, the executive director and founder of the coalition, which also is known as FlyersRights.org, sued the Atlanta-based airline and Dulles, Va.-based Metron Aviation Inc. after her e-mails, and those of at least two reporters, including one from USA Today, were obtained by Delta and Metron, the suit alleges.

Hanni says she learned from America Online that her personal e-mail files were redirected to an unknown location, along with donor lists, spreadsheets and other data. The lawsuit alleges that the e-mail hacking began in 2008 and continued into 2009 as Hanni communicated with an airline-industry consultant who analyzed airline delays for the federal government.

The consultant, Frederick Foreman, provided a sworn affidavit that he was authorized to share publicly available data with Hanni and news reporters, but was terminated on Sept. 25 by Metron when Delta officials learned of the communications. According to the complaint, "When Foreman asked Metron how they got the e-mails, Metron claimed that Delta had provided them with the stolen e-mails."

"This lawsuit is intended to show the flying public how Delta responded to our organization's promise to help improve the health, safety, dignity and well-being of airline passengers," Hanni said in a prepared statement. "Delta's conduct at our nation's airports and behind the scenes deserves scrutiny."

A spokesman for Delta strongly denied the allegations of e-mail hacking.

"Obviously the idea that Delta would hack into someone's e-mail is clearly without merit. Since this involves pending litigation, we cannot comment further," Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter said.