Ninth Circuit Revives Lawsuit of Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Over Religious Discrimination Claims

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit filed by two former Alaska Airlines flight attendants, Lacey Smith and Marli Brown, who allege they were terminated due to their religious objections to the airline's support for the Equality Act. The Ninth Circuit ruled on Wednesday that there is enough evidence for a jury to assess whether their dismissals were based on their religious beliefs. Stephanie Taub, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute, stated that the court recognized evidence of religious discrimination by Alaska Airlines and the flight attendants' union. The Equality Act, introduced by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2021, aims to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under federal civil rights law. Following their comments in an internal employee forum regarding the Equality Act, Smith and Brown were investigated and subsequently fired, with the airline labeling their remarks as discriminatory and offensive. Smith expressed that the ruling is significant for those facing religious discrimination in the workplace, while Brown expressed gratitude for the court's decision.