A federal judge in Texas has ruled that Southwest Airlines should reinstate the pro-life flight attendant, Charlene Carter who was unlawfully fired for expressing pro-life views and for criticizing her union.
The decision was filed on Dec. 5th, five months after a jury decided in Carter’s favor. Trump appointed Judge Brantley Starr noted, “Bags fly free with Southwest. But free speech didn’t fly at all with Southwest in this case.”
Judge Starr also granted Carter $300,000 in compensatory and punitive damages from Southwest; $300,000 in compensatory and punitive damages from the flight attendants’ union, Transport Workers Union of America Local 556; $150,000 in back pay, and $60,180.82 in prejudgment interest.
“The jury also awarded front [or future] pay, but Carter would rather have her job back,” Judge Starr wrote. “The Court reinstates Carter to her former position … If the Court opted for front pay over reinstatement, the court would complete Southwest’s unlawful scheme. Reinstatement is appropriate.”
Judge Starr’s order further forbids both the company and the union “from discriminating against Southwest flight attendants for their religious practices and beliefs, including—but not limited to—those expressed on social media and those concerning abortion.”
Both, the company and the union also “reasonably accommodate Southwest flight attendants’ sincerely held religious beliefs, practices, and observances,” Judge Starr wrote.
This historic ruling came after Carter was five years of Carter being fired from Southwest. She now resides in Colorado and is actively championing pro-life causes and protesting abortion. This comes after her personal experience of suffering terrible physical and emotional effects after she terminated a pregnancy when she was 19.
She was a Southwest employee for two decades until the company fired her in 2017 for complaining about a pro-choice event that her union held during the Women’s March.
In 2017, she expressed her frustrations with her Union president for their participation in the Planned Parenthood-funded Women’s March.
The Union President complained to Southwest of Carter’s disagreements and as a result, she lost her two-decade long job.
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