Southwest Airlines Faces Legal Battle after Firing Flight Attendant with Anti-abortion Beliefs

Southwest Airlines is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday seeking to reverse an $800,000 award granted to a flight attendant who claimed she was terminated for her anti-abortion beliefs. The attendant also alleged that a judge ordered the airline’s lawyers to undergo religious liberty training from a conservative Christian legal group.

Southwest argues that flight attendant Charlene Carter was fired for violating company policy on workplace civility by sending “hostile and graphic” anti-abortion messages to a coworker who was also the local union president.

Carter criticized the union president for participating in the 2017 Women’s March in Washington, D.C., where attendees protested against then-President Donald Trump’s inauguration and advocated for abortion rights.

Carter’s legal team asserts that she communicated to management that she sent the messages because of her identity as a pro-life Christian who felt compelled to share her beliefs on abortion.

They argue that Carter’s termination infringed upon federal laws protecting employees from discrimination based on religious beliefs, and they hold both Southwest management and the union responsible for her dismissal.

Following the trial, U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, appointed by Trump in 2019, mandated that the airline inform flight attendants that they cannot be discriminated against for their religious practices and beliefs under federal law.

However, Southwest informed employees that it “does not discriminate” and reiterated the policy cited in Carter’s termination.

Starr held Southwest in contempt in August for their handling of the case and ordered them to pay Carter’s legal fees, as well as complete religious liberty training from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group.

Lawyers for Carter defended the training sanction, stating that it is a standard civil contempt penalty and does not violate the airline’s freedom of speech.

The initial award against Southwest and the union totaled $5.1 million, with most to be paid by Southwest. This was later reduced by the judge to around $800,000, including damages, back pay, and interest.