Lawsuit: Alaska Airlines Fired Christian Employees Over Views on LGBT, “Equality” Act

The flight attendants claim they were discriminated against by the airline and slandered as “bigots” by the union that was supposed to represent them

A lawsuit alleges that two flight attendants were reported and fired over their views on the so-called Equality Act and the threat it may pose to religious freedom and women’s rights.

First Liberty Institute recently filed a motion for a summary judgment on behalf of their clients Marli Brown and Lacey Smith against Alaska Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants union (AFA) alleging discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs and professional retaliation over personal views.

The accusations stem from a discussion in an internal company messaging board employees had been invited to participate in surrounding the Equality Act, proposed congressional legislation that would include sexual orientation and gender identities in federal anti-discrimination laws.

Opponents to the legislation warn that the protections for LGBT identities would result in discrimination against Christians and conservatives and strip women of necessary and hard-fought civil rights.

This was the sentiment expressed by Brown and Smith in the company message board as Brown, for example, asked her employer if it supported "endangering the Church, encouraging suppression of religious freedom, obliterating women rights and parental rights."

As The Christian Post reported, the incident resulted in an investigation that concluded with termination for the two women. The lawsuit accuses the AFA of retaliating against them for their views, with some union representatives expressing a desire that someone would “drop them in a well” and others calling them “bigots” and “pukes.”

AFA Master Executive Council President Jeff Peterson is accused of drawing Alaska Airlines’ attention to the women’s comments and professing to “hate” Smith.