Fired Southwest flight attendant wins $5.1million verdict

A former Southwest Airlines flight attendant who was fired after falling out with her union president over abortion and other issues has won a $5.1million jury verdict against the airline and the union.

A jury in the Dallas Federal District Court returned the verdict Thursday. If so, Charlene Carter could collect $4.15 million from Southwest and $950,000 from the Transportation Workers Union Local 556, mostly in punitive damages.

The Southwest said Friday it “has a demonstrated history of supporting the rights of our employees to express their opinions when done in a respectful manner.” He plans to appeal. A lawyer for the union said the jurors may have misunderstood the judge’s instructions, and he also plans to appeal.

Carter alleged she was fired in March 2017 after complaining to the union president that flight attendants were going to a march in Washington, D.C., where more than 500,000 people protested the president’s positions Donald Trump on abortion and other issues. Carter, who had clashed with the union for years on other issues, believed dues were paying for an anti-abortion protest.

Carter sent a series of Facebook posts, some containing videos of alleged aborted fetuses, to Audrey Stone, who was then president of the union. She called Stone “despicable” and said she would be removed from the job. Carter had clashed with the union for

According to court documents, the airline said it fired Carter because posts on its Facebook page, in which she could be identified as a Southwest employee, were ‘highly offensive’ and his private messages to Stone were harassing. . The airline said it violated company policies on bullying and the use of social media.

The jury said Southwest unlawfully discriminated against Carter because of her sincere religious beliefs.

Carter, a 20-year Southwest veteran, said the union failed to represent her fairly and retaliated against her for speaking her mind. His lead lawyer was a member of the National Committee for the Right to Work, which campaigns against compulsory union membership.