Fired Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Ask Appeals Court to Protect Their Free Exercise of Religion

Alaska Airlines announced support for the proposed Equality Act in 2021. (Star Parker said that this legislation would make the Religious Freedom Restoration Act null and void.) The company invited employees to share their opinions on a message board.

According to First Liberty Institute, two flight attendants made comments that were clearly critical of the Equality Act and the company’s support of the bill. Alaska Airlines investigated the women, called their comments discriminatory, hateful, and offensive, and fired them. The flight attendants union offered them no support. A union representative said they should be put in a burlap bag and dropped in a well. How tolerant.

First Liberty filed a lawsuit on their behalf, alleging that Alaska Airlines discriminated against them on the basis of religion. A lower court dismissed their case. The women asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to protect their rights. The court recently heard arguments.

The plaintiffs said there is sufficient evidence to show that Alaska Airlines fired them over their religious beliefs and was, in fact, hostile to their faith. They said the company also bypassed normal procedures to fire them.

Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, said that American Airlines “canceled our clients and the flight attendants’ union betrayed their trust. We will continue to fight for our clients until Alaska Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants are held accountable, and American employees are safe from discrimination.”

Photo credit: By Sam Almo-Milkin – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, link

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