A federal judge has ordered Southwest Airlines and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) to reinstate a former flight attendant fired for her pro-life beliefs.
Southwest Airlines is reputed to be the friendliest airline. However, Southwest may not be especially friendly to their staff who are outspoken about their pro-life beliefs.
Daily Citizen wrote about Charlene Carter, a flight attendant, who is a pro-life Christian and worked for Southwest from 1996 until 2017.
As we reported, “Her employment came to an abrupt end shortly after she learned that the president of her union, Audrey Stone of the Transport Workers Union Local 556, and other union officials had attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C., and used union dues to attend.
“The Women’s March is known for being notoriously pro-abortion, and Ms. Carter was upset that her union dues were going to support abortion. And she let Stone know about it on social media.”
Dallas Morning News reported that Carter sent a Facebook message to Stone, “This is what [abortion] you supported during your paid leave with others at the Women’s March in D.C. You truly are despicable in so many ways.”
Stone reported Carter’s comments to Southwest, the airline fired her a week later. Consequently, Carter sued Southwest Airlines and TWU for wrongful termination.
Earlier this year, a federal jury ordered that Carter be awarded $5.1 million for her wrongful termination and the discrimination against her beliefs about abortion. The award consisted of $300,000 in lost wages and benefits, $1 million for past pain and suffering, $3.5 million in punitive damages against Southwest and $300,000 in punitive damages against TWU.
Later, Judge Brantley Starr, an appointee of former President Donald J. Trump, reduced the amount to $810,180, the maximum allowed under federal law.
The U.S. District Court for the North District of Texas has now ordered Southwest and TWU to reinstate Carter.
“Bags fly free with Southwest,” Judge Starr wrote. “But free speech didn’t fly at all with Southwest in this case.”
“Southwest may ‘wanna get away’ from Carter because she might continue to express her beliefs, but the jury found that Southwest unlawfully terminated Carter for protected expressions,” the judge added.
In a statement following the court’s decision, National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix said the following: Southwest and TWU union officials made Ms. Carter pay an unconscionable price just because she decided to speak out against the political activities of union officials in accordance with her deeply held religious beliefs. This decision vindicates Ms. Carter’s rights – but it’s also a stark reminder of the retribution that union officials will mete out against employees who refuse to toe the union line.
Brandy King, the spokeswoman of Southwest Airlines, revealed that the airline will appeal.
“Southwest Airlines has a demonstrated history of supporting our employees’ rights to express their opinions when done in a respectful manner,” King said. “We are in the process of assessing the requirements of the recent judgment as we move forward with our plans for an appeal.”
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