Southwest Airlines is back in court over firing of flight attendant with anti-abortion views

Southwest Airlines is once again facing a legal battle in the federal court system, this time regarding the termination of a flight attendant, Peggy Philpott, who claimed that she was let go from her position due to her anti-abortion views. The case, which began in 2013, has resulted in an $8000,000 award to Philpott, and a judge's order that Southwest's legal team undergo religious liberty training from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a conservative Christian legal group.

The controversy started when Philpott, a practicing Christian and active member of her church, reportedly expressed her opposition to Southwest's employee resource group's pro-abortion stance during a meeting in 2013. Following this expression of her beliefs, Philpott claimed that she faced harassment and discrimination from her colleagues and superiors, ultimately leading to her termination from the airline in 2014.

Philpott filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines in 2015, alleging that her termination violated her First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion. The case, Philpott v. Southwest Airlines Co., was heard in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, where a jury found in favor of Philpott in 2019, awarding her damages totaling $800,000 for past and future lost wages, as well as emotional distress damages.

In addition to the monetary damages, the judge presiding over the case, Reed O'Connor, issued an order requiring Southwest's legal team to undergo religious liberty training from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The training is intended to help the legal team better understand the legal protections for religious freedom and the importance of accommodating the religious beliefs of employees in the workplace.

Southwest Airlines has appealed the jury's decision and the order for religious liberty training, arguing that the company has a right to maintain a workplace free from discrimination and that Philpott's comments were not protected by the First Amendment. The case is currently being reviewed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and Southwest is expected to present its arguments for reversal when the case goes back to federal court on Monday, March 21, 2022.

The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the rights of employees to express their religious beliefs in the workplace and for employers' ability to maintain a discrimination-free work environment. The case also highlights the importance of understanding the legal protections for religious freedom and the potential for religious liberty training to help prevent future disputes and promote greater religious tolerance and understanding in the workplace.