An appeals court in New Orleans blocked a federal judge’s order for three attorneys for Southwest Airlines to receive religious liberty training from a conservative advocacy group. The judge’s order stemmed from a case where a Southwest flight attendant, Charlene Carter, was fired for sending anti-abortion material and disparaging messages to a union leader and fellow employee. Carter won an $800,000 court award, claiming she was terminated due to her religious beliefs. The religious training requirement was part of a contempt order against the airline issued by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
After Carter won a jury verdict, Starr ordered Southwest to inform flight attendants that they cannot discriminate against employees for their religious practices and beliefs. However, the airline only provided a generic statement saying it does not discriminate and told flight attendants to follow the airline’s policy. In August, Starr found Southwest in contempt for the way it communicated the case to flight attendants and ordered the airline to pay Carter’s legal costs. He also mandated the three lawyers to complete at least eight hours of religious liberty training from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative group known for defending various legal fights related to religious freedom.
The appeal focused on Carter’s firing and not the contempt order. Southwest argued that the contempt order violated its free speech rights and should be overturned. The appellate court ruling suggested that the district court’s punitive sanctions likely exceeded the scope of its civil-contempt authority. The decision on Southwest’s efforts to reverse the $800,000 judgment in Carter’s favor is still pending. The 5th Circuit judges on the panel included nominees from former Presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush, and they did not give an indication when they will rule on the case.
The Alliance Defending Freedom, the conservative advocacy group tasked with providing the religious liberty training, has been involved in defending cases related to same-sex marriage projects, transgender rights, and federal approval of medications used in ending pregnancies. The group has played a high-profile role in advocating for religious freedom in the workplace and other legal battles. The case involving Southwest Airlines and the flight attendant highlights the complex intersection of religious beliefs, free speech rights, and workplace discrimination laws.
As the legal battle continues, the outcome will likely set a precedent for how companies navigate religious accommodations and free speech in the workplace. The dispute between Southwest Airlines, Charlene Carter, and the Alliance Defending Freedom underscores the ongoing debate over religious liberties, discrimination, and the role of conservative advocacy groups in shaping legal outcomes. The decision of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block the religious liberty training order is a significant development in the case, raising questions about the extent of a judge’s authority in mandating such training for attorneys.
