A Texas judge ordered several lawyers for Southwest Airlines to go through “religious-liberty training” after failing to “inform” employees of their freedom of religious beliefs under Title VII, according to court documents.
U.S. District Court Judge Brantley Starr ruled that Southwest Airlines lawyers Kerrie Forbes, Kevin Minchey, and Chris Maberry undergo religious freedom classes after failing “to mention Title VII” to their employees, despite a previous court ruling ordering them to “specifically” inform employees of their religious rights under Title VII, according to a court filing signed on Monday. The court’s ruling comes after Charlene Carter was awarded more than $5 million in July 2022, after being fired for her religious and political beliefs on abortion.
“Specifically, the Court ordered ‘Southwest… to inform Southwest flight attendants that, under Title VII, [Southwest] may not discriminate against Southwest flight attendants for their religious practice and beliefs,” the court document read.
A Texas judge ordered Southwest Airlines to take religious freedom training from the faith-based legal advocacy organization the Alliance Defending Freedom after the airline failed to inform employees of their freedom to practice their religion.https://t.co/5gNvUuBwSB
— Catholic News Agency (@cnalive) August 8, 2023
After awarding Carter $5.1 million, Starr issued a ruling in Dec. 2022, ordering she to be reinstated to her position, according to The Texan.
In his opinion, Starr wrote that “instead” of mentioning Title VII, the notice from the airline told employees the court had ordered them “to inform” them that “Southwest does not discriminate against our Employees for their religious practices and beliefs,” according to the ruling. (RELATED: Biden Admin Tells Catholic Hospital To Put Out Sanctuary Candle Light In Violation Of Religious Beliefs)
“Southwest’s notice failed to mention Title VII, that the federal law known as Title VII contains a prohibition, and that that prohibition forbids Southwest from discriminating against flight attendants for their religious beliefs,” the court ruling read.
Starr added that the airline had also “sent a memo to its flight attendants the same day” telling them that employees “must abide by the types of policies over which Southwest fired Carter,” according to the court document, adding that it “believed” the firing of Carter had been “justified.”