A federal judge ordered three Southwest Airlines lawyers to undergo “religious-liberty training” after it fired an attendant who had anti-abortion beliefs, according to reports.
U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr said the lawyers who defied court orders should brush up on their First Amendment knowledge at the Christian group “Alliance Defending Freedom,” ruling the organization “is particularly well-suited” to teach them, according to the New York Post. Starr said the three lawyers did not understand federal protections for religious freedom, Fortune reported.
A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 approaches to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington Virginia, on August 11, 2023. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)
Charlene Carter sued the airline after she was fired following more than 20 years on the job. Carter posted several social media posts criticizing the union boss who attended a pro-abortion “Women’s March” in 2017.
“You truly are despicable in so many ways,” Carter allegedly wrote in one message, Fortune reported. Carter was fired and subsequently filed a lawsuit in which she was awarded $5.1 million by a Dallas jury which was later lowered to $800,000.
Southwest is expected to appeal the decision, according to the report.
Retired law professor at the University of Virginia Douglas Laycock said Southwest could try to argue that Alliance Defending Freedom “has extreme views on these issues and will give distorted training.” (RELATED: ‘Makes My Skin Crawl’: Woman Who Won Major SCOTUS Case Describes Death, Rape Threats)
Director of the law and religion clinic at the University of Texas at Austin, Steven Collins, said the judge had the legal authority, according to Fortune.
“I do think it’s questionable ordering that training to be done by a group that is clearly partisan on issues related to religious freedom,” Collis reportedly said. “He could have avoided criticism by ordering this from someone who is a little more neutral … use an academic instead.”